Change of Scenery
by Reldor
Summary: Two brothers, before the start of TLK2 transformed into lions and must learn to become what they were destined to be.  T for some language.
1. Chapter 1: A Change in Scenery

**First story and all that so please R+R! Tell me if this is something you'd like to see more of! It's not original, I know, but it's something I've had on my mind for a while, so i decided to write it! **

_One: A Change in Scenery_

Man, I was so bored! It had been raining for what seemed like hours, and on top of that our power was out! Now I had given up hope, and was sitting on the couch, watching the rain drizzle down the window. As I looked outside I saw in my reflection that a bit of my hair had decided to stand up, and I tried to pat the unruly mess down. I suddenly had an idea. I got up, stretching my stiff back, yawning, and readjusting my glasses. I walked over to where Jack was sitting and sat down next to him.

"So, have any ideas as to what we're going to do today, Seth?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, don't we still have that old DVD player in our basement?" I asked hopefully. His eyes lit up as he realized the prospect of not having to sit around all day waiting for the rain to stop.

"Yea, I think we do, let's just hope it still has power!" Jack said as he ran down the stairs, his heavy footfalls making the stairs creak on each step. While he was finding the DVD player, I went downstairs as well to try and find a movie to watch in our collection. After about 5 minutes of searching in the cabinet I was starting to get a little bit mad.

"No…No…No…" I sighed in annoyance. Finding a good movie to watch was getting on my nerves.

"There's got to be _some _good movies that we have… Look harder Seth!" Jack said, also annoyed.

As I stuck my hand behind the cabinet, my hand hit something that felt suspiciously like a DVD case…

"Aha! There's one more DVD here, let's hope it's a good one!" I exclaimed as I brushed the dust off with my hand and read the cover.

"The Lion King!" I said in excitement, "I haven't seen this in ages! This something you're up for Jack?"

Jack looked skeptical and shook his head, "I'll pass." He said with a grimace.

"Suit yourself bro." I shrugged as the DVD slid into the player. The opening music started, and I felt a sense of nostalgia.

_Wow, _I said to myself. _I can't believe I'm watching it again! I used to know this movie by heart!_

As the movie ran its course, I felt like I was being drawn into the movie the more I watched.

_Wasn't there a second movie? Why did I never watch that?_ I wondered,_ I should ask my parents to buy it, but that would be kinda embarrassing… Or maybe I'll just buy it myself…_

Suddenly, my vision blurred and stars danced before my eyes.

_What the hell is this? What's going on? AM I DYING? _Were my last thoughts before everything went black and I passed out.

I woke up to find myself in a place that did NOT look like my house, or the hospital.

"Ooo, my head…" I said, as my head persisted in throbbing painfully. I opened my eyes and looked around….. And my jaw hit the floor. I was laying in wild grass on a savannah…In Africa too, apparently, as I saw antelope and giraffe grazing peacefully nearby. They looked at me eyes wide before bolting away screaming something about a lion.

_ L-lion? _I thought, suddenly afraid…_ Where?_

I looked around the plains nearby and for the first time realized by vision was much, much clearer than normal.

_My glasses! Where are they? And how is my vision so clear? _I pondered this, but it was soon forgotten when out of the corner of my eye I saw an all-black massive figure approach from my left.

"WHOA! JESUS CHRIST! A GODDAMN LION?" I screamed, backing up a few steps, terrified.

"Hey, look buddy, I don't know what kind of crazy mind you've got up in your head but I am NOT a lion. But you sure look like one… Look, I came from a place FAR away from here, and I'm just trying to find my way back…" He explained in a gruff voice, eyes flickering to and fro, obviously distressed.

"Err…Hey, I've got the same problem. I came from a place called...Virginia…In America…But you obviously think I'm some kind of psychopath, so what am I telling you this for?" I trailed off. A glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes as I mentioned where I lived.

"Seth, is it you?" He exclaimed as he came closer.

"Wait a minute…Jack! Hey man, isn't this crazy, me finding you here!"

"Yea but…why the hell do you sound Jamaican? Seriously dude, that's weird…"

I was surprised, because I hadn't even noticed the change in my voice.

"Yea, well why do YOU sound like you're a hardcore smoker?" I countered, with a triumphant smile. He looked stunned, which only proved to make me laugh at his discomfort.

"Really? …I wonder why I didn't notice…" He said.

"Yea, same. I never noticed the change in my voice either until you pointed it out…" By now, we were both confused out of our minds, and trying to figure out how this happened. Our next realization only proceeded to shock us more…

"Hold on a minute though…That still doesn't answer the question of why we're LIONS!" I said, mildly irritated.

"Yea, THAT'S the real question…" Jack agreed.

"Come on, I'm thirsty, we need to get moving and find food and water if we want to live." I said, padding off towards a giant rock that seemed strangely familiar to me, but I couldn't seem to remember why. After a couple minutes of walking we found a water hole and stopped for a drink.

I used this time to take a good look at myself for the first time… I certainly didn't look like any lion I'd ever seen before! I had a blue-black coat, with black stripes zig-zagging across my fur. My mane was a light reddish-orange, and was extremely unruly. I also had little tufts of fur on the back of each of my legs, the same color as my mane. There were innumerable things that were abnormal, such as why there were two small rings pierced in my right ear, and on each of my front shoulders was a strange mark, glowing green. It consisted of a small circle and a crescent beneath it. Two fang-like teeth about an inch long each came down from my jaw. I was very lean, with muscles built for speed and agility rather than brute strength. My eyes were yellow, with small green pupils, and on my face there were four green lines, one under each of my eyes and two going down my nose.

_Man, I look like some tribal lion-warrior! And what are those symbols doing there? Ah well... I'll worry about that later._

Jack on the other hand was the COMPLETE opposite of me. He was _**MASSIVE**_, he looked as if built solely for killing. His coat and mane were completely jet-black, and his teeth were filed to a point. His mane was sleek, in a straight line down his back; it seemed to glisten in the sun. He had the same strange marks on his coat, but his were blood-red… His eyes were menacing specks of red in a sea of yellow; they seemed to look right through you. I shivered, something about Jack made him seem dangerous, and that scared me…

**What'd ya think? Did my terrible writing skills show themselves once again? TELL MEEE! I...NEED...FEEDBACK!**


	2. Chapter 2: What You Really Are

**Yay for two chapters, I'm so good at this. :s**

_Chapter two: What You Really Are_

The two lions trudged on through the savannah, towards the huge stone Seth had pointed out earlier. They figured that _something _had to live there, and maybe they would be welcome to stay. Night was falling, and neither one wanted to be outside when it did.

"Jeez Seth, can't we rest for a few minutes at least?" Jack pleaded, "We haven't stopped moving for hours…"

"I'm tired too Jack, but I want to find somewhere safe where we can maybe figure out why in the world we were transformed into lions!" I replied, annoyed. My fur was getting matted and my paws hurt from the endless walking. Jack's complaints did nothing but further aggravate me. He sighed and lowered his head, continuing on. The sun had now fully set, and we were nowhere near the monolith. My spirits rose, however, when I spotted an old, gnarled tree in the distance. It had limbs that twisted out from the trunk in every direction, with broad leaves sheltering the ground below.

_Not much of a shelter…_I thought tentatively, _But it'll have to do for now._

"'Ey Jack!" I said, "See that tree? I think we'll have to rest there for the night."

He nodded in agreement, and we lay down near the trunk, exhausted.

"Ahh… That's much better." Jack mumbled with a sigh of relief.

"Well, we still have a ways to go in the morning, but at least we can sleep here." I agreed. My eyelids drooped, and I found it increasingly hard to stay awake. When I could fight it no longer, I gave in to the urge to sleep.

Little did the two know, high up in the tree was a curious old mandrill watching them intently. The mandrill suddenly sped down to the center of the tree, where two peculiar symbols drew his interest.

_A perfect fit…_Thought the mandrill, as he did a mental comparison. The symbols were carbon copys of the ones on the two brother's backs…The mandrill cackled and clapped his hands, a crooked smile spreading across his face. He grabbed his staff, the empty gourds at the top rattling together, and returned to his perch at the top of the tree.

_It is time! _The mandrill thought in glee. _De morning bring surprises for dese two! _

Surprises indeed…

I opened my eyes groggily in the morning to see the sun rising, a magnificent ball of orange peeking over the horizon. The beautiful sight made me forget the world for a few seconds, basking in the first rays of light to hit the earth. I turned around and stretched my legs, hearing small cracks as I relaxed. I heard a loud yawn, and suddenly Jack was sitting next to me, still half asleep.

"We should get moving soon, if we want to get there early." I said. Jack just groaned and put his paws over his eyes.

"Do we have to do it now? I need to sleep more…" Jack mumbled. I rolled my eyes at his laziness but allowed him to sleep for a few more minutes. I walked over to where he was sleeping, and shook him awake.

"Jack, JACK! Get up! We have to get moving." I yelled in his ear.

"mmmbbbbblllll" was his reply, and he rolled over. I sighed in frustration, and punched him in the shoulder to get him awake.

"Ow! Come on Seth, why'd you have to-" he was cut off as a strange monkey came flying down from the tree in between us.

"WHOA!" We both yelped, startled. The mandrill only smiled.

"'Ello to you too!" he replied, laughing. His creepy laugh only made me angrier at the fact that he startled us.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" I said, swinging a paw at the mandrill. The mandrill just laughed and jumped away.

"Come on up you!" he said, "Dere's much that you must know…"

Jack and I looked at each other, confused.

_What…? Whoa, wait a minute!" _I thought in excitement, _Maybe this crazy old monkey knows what happened to us!"_

"Come on Jack" I said with a smile. I unsheathed my claws and jumped up the tree. He still looked confused, but soon followed suit. I fought my way through the leaves to the center of the tree, where the monkey sat, meditating. I looked around at the various drawings on the walls, where a certain drawing of a beige colored lion with a red mane drew my attention.

_Wait a minute…Isn't that…Simba? _I thought in disbelief. Suddenly, everything made a little bit more, and a little bit less sense all at once.

_So…That explains why we're lions. But HOW IS THIS REAL!_

My thoughts were interrupted as the mandrill took hold of my ear and turned my head towards the opposite wall, where the same symbols that Jack and I had on our backs were burned into the wood.

"What…" Jack said, dumbfounded.

"You see? De symbols, Dey mean more than you think!" The mandrill said cryptically.

"So…These symbols, actually do something?" I wondered out loud.

"Yees!" He said with a clap of his hands, "De one you have stand for life! You brutha's stand for death." He said ominously.

"You are destined to be a great healer!" The mandrill chuckled at me.

"And you, a great warrior!" He pointed at Jack.

"You must learn to use de symbols, but that will not come easily!" He warned. I just sat there, stunned, my mouth agape.

"No time to dawdle! I must start your training!" The mandrill said, sliding down the tree. At the bottom of the tree he whistled loudly, and out of nowhere, a huge, battle-scarred tan lion appeared at the base of the tree.

"Yes, Rafiki?" He said in a slow, deep voice, his keen blue eyes gazing upon the small mandrill.

_Wait, so this monkey's Rafiki? Oh damn it, how did I not see it before? _I mentally slapped myself for not realizing it sooner.

"Go, take this one and train him Abasi!" Rafiki said, pointing at Jack. Abasi glanced up and saw Jack, his eyes widening as his gaze wandered to the symbol on Jack's shoulder. He then smiled and nodded.

"Come down here young one, your training must not be delayed." He said with a smile, eyes glinting. Jack tentatively padded over to Abasi; he looked shaken by all that was happening, and I couldn't blame him.

"Follow me, your brother has training of his own to do here, you may not see each other for quite some time…" Abasi said calmly. All I could do was wave quickly before Abasi and Jack padded off to some "secret" area. As I sighed and turned around, Rafiki was peering at me intently, as if judging me.

"Yes, yes…You will make a good shaman one day" He whispered to himself, laughing.

_Shaman? Like some kind of voodoo doll carrying crazy person? This is way too damn crazy! _I thought to myself.

"What exactly IS going-" I started, turning towards Rafiki, who then snapped his staff back over his head and smashed against my head.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL!" I shouted, my head now had a large bump forming where the staff hit.

"Lesson one: Do not question the spirits!" He said cackling. I groaned and massaged my injured head.

"Don't think dis will be easy!" Rafiki advised.

Little did they know, the year ahead would seem like hell on earth.

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	3. Chapter 3: Training

**And so, the story continues... **

_Chapter three: Training_

There were so many questions Jack had, but he was too busy trying to comprehend all that happened in the past hour that he didn't ask.

_Symbols…Death? _Jack thought,_ What does that even mean? Some kind of magic? This is so frustrating!_

He opened his mouth to ask a question, but before he could say a word, Asadi interrupted.

"All your questions will be answered when we get to the Grounds." Asadi said. This just annoyed him even more, but he continued in silence for the rest of the journey. On the horizon Jack saw what he presumed to be Asadi's home: a barren wasteland, with sinister mountains in the distance.

"There. The tallest mountain is our destination. Nothing is able to survive on these plains, so most creatures live in the mountains. My pride included…" Asadi explained. Jack's eyes widened when he heard this.

_A pride? So…Asadi's their leader or something?_

Now eager to see Asadi's pride, Jack quickened his pace.

Much later, they arrived at the base of the mountain; a sheer wall of jagged rock was the only thing Jack could see. He had been expecting an entrance, or pathway up, but none could be seen. Jack turned to Asadi.

"Uhh, hey Asadi…Not to be a bother, but how do we get in to the mountain? There's no entrance…" Jack said in confusion. Asadi laughed, a slow mischievous laugh that made the hair on the back of Jack's neck stand up.

"Not _in_…_up_." Asadi replied, starting to smile as Jack's face fell.

"First test: To see if you're worthy to join my pride… Climb this mountain and meet me at the top, if you succeed, you may join. If not…" Asadi trailed off, implications clear. He sprung up the wall with no effort, quickly scaling what seemed impossible. Jack's jaw dropped when he saw how fast his mentor scaled the rock face.

"Now, it is your turn." He said, looking at Jack. Jack approached the wall and looked for any kind of hold he could use to climb. To his surprise, there were small grooves in the rock, just big enough for his claws to fit inside. He gained some hope from his finding.

_Perhaps it _is _possible…_Jack thought. He unsheathed his claws and grabbed the first hold. At first, it seemed like the niche wouldn't be able to hold his weight, but his claws held firm. Jack struggled to reach the next handhold, and realized that it was much harder to get a hold while hanging in the air than while on the ground. The climb continued for a little more than an hour, when an exhausted, aching Jack finally reached the top.

"Very good…You passed." Asadi said with a grin, padding away. Jack looked up at his mentor, who seemed to _enjoy_ his discomfort. Jack got up on shaky legs and began to follow Asadi.

* * *

><p>I awoke to the sound of strange singing. I didn't have any time to hear the words however, as Rafiki rapped me on the head with his staff.<p>

_The usual wakeup call…_I thought with a sigh.

"Wake up you! Time for work!" Rafiki said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! I'm awake, jeez…" I mumbled, still half asleep.

_Man, now I know how Jack feels… _I sighed. I hoped this training wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I opened my eyes and stretched before standing up.

"Alright…Rafiki, what is my training, exactly? I asked, hoping he would give me some hint as to what I would be doing.

"Heh heh heh, you will see!" he replied with another one of his creepy laughs. I just sighed and didn't bother to ask anymore, he never gave me any kind of heads-up.

"You come! You follow!" He beckoned me towards him. I had no choice but to follow. We walked through the desert to an oasis, where we stopped.

"Here we are! Now, you gather herb for Rafiki! Return to me when you gather." He said, walking away.

"Hey! How am I supposed to find this thing if I don't even know what it looks like?" I shouted at him. He stopped and turned around, and for a second I actually thought he was going to help me! My hopes crashed to the ground when all he did was thrust a plank of wood in front of me and walk away.

"Use da symbol! You need not a picture when you can have dat symbol do it for you!" he cackled and ran away. I sighed, more of this symbol crap, and how was I supposed to use it anyways?

I turned the plank over to find a crude drawing of a three leafed plant, with many thorns carved into the face. Suddenly, I felt a burning in my shoulder as the symbol burned with light.

"AHH!" I cried out. It seemed as if something was burning me alive! Before the pain ended, in my mind's eye I saw a picture of the same flower on the plank, but in vivid colors: a deep maroon in the leaves, yellow stalk, and purple thorns. I sat there for a full minute as the image burned into my mind.

_Is that what this symbol does? It shows me plants? Some help THAT is…_I thought with a grumble. As I complained to myself I heard a word that seemed like it was whispered by the winds:

_Ponya…_it whispered, and a breeze ruffled my mane.

_Okay great, now I'm hearing things. _I thought to myself as the winds died down.

For some reason, I also knew what it meant instantly…_heal_…I had an idea…This symbol might have more to it than just finding herbs…

"_Ponya_" I whispered to myself, and I felt the symbol burn for a quick second before dying down. Before I knew it, all of my cuts and bruises were gone, and I felt refreshed for the first time in a long while.

_Whoa! Now THAT'S cool!_ I thought, smiling.

* * *

><p>As Jack walked into the grassy clearing at the top of the mountain, everything was silent. He had the sneaking suspicion that he was being watched. As if sensing Jack's discomfort, Asadi smiled.<p>

"It's alright everyone, he's a newcomer, and _I_ invited him here." Asadi boomed, his loud voice echoing off the mountainside. Suddenly, from every possible crevice, lions came out and stared at Jack curiously. Asadi suddenly rushed over to a rough-looking lioness, who had part of one ear torn off, and began whispering urgently to her. Jack couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he knew it had something to do with him. They both nodded, and Asadi turned back to Jack.

"It is alright for you to stay during the training, but you unfortunately cannot join our pride, they are very mistrustful of any all-black lions…" Asadi said. Jack was confused,

_What do they have against all-black lions? _Jack wondered.

"I will explain more later, but for now, eat and rest. Harder training begins tomorrow." Asadi said, seeing the confused look on Jack's face. Jack groaned at the prospect of _more _training, although he was grateful to Asadi for giving him food and a place to sleep. He ate his fill of meat, and decided it was probably better for him to sleep outside than sleep inside, since the pride was so mistrustful of him. He tried to get as comfortable as he could in the cold night temperatures, and closed his eyes. Jack awoke in the morning, well-rested and surprisingly not sore. He looked around at the bustling pride, Asadi barking orders, and everyone doing their part to aid each other.

_Man, they seem like they've been doing this for years!_ Jack thought, _But…Knowing Asadi he probably drilled it into them…_

When Asadi finished his instructions, he padded over to Jack.

"Today is your first test in combat, but be warned, I won't fight by the rules!" Asadi whispered to him, with a crooked smile. The color in Jack's face drained; He had to fight _ASADI_? There was no way, Asadi would crush him!

_I don't even know how to fight properly, how the hell am I supposed to beat him, of all lions? _Jack thought in despair.

Jack had to spend most of his day lying in the shade of the peak, for the pride would refuse any offer of help, and hiss "_heathen_"or "_defiler_" as he looked on, confused. He wanted to know why he was so hated, and the only one who he could ask was, of course, Asadi…

**Please leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	4. Chapter 4: To Pride Rock!

**Thank you for the awesome reviews! **

_Chapter four: To Pride Rock!_

Jack huffed in annoyance as the minutes dragged on. It was about midday now, and the only thing he could do to pass the time was watch the clouds pass by…

_Jeez Abasi, Hurry up already! You can't have THAT many things to do in a single day! _He thought. Jack paced around the small tree he was resting under, trying to find something else to pass the time faster.

_Well, I could always try to prepare for this training… I'll need all the help I can get if I'm to fight Abasi! _He thought to himself. Jack stretched, hearing a series of tiny pops as his joints cracked. He began to jog up to the summit of the mountain, for what he thought would be an easy climb. But luck was not on his side today, as the steep slopes and loose rocks proved challenging obstacles. By the time he reached the summit and began the trek back down, the sun had almost set. At the base of the mountain, a very irritated Abasi sat, glaring at Jack.

_Oh damn, the training! I completely forgot! _Jack thought in alarm, as Abasi began padding towards him slowly.

"Well well, a little bit late, aren't we?" Abasi said sarcastically. Jack lowered his head in embarrassment.

"Well, I just thought a run up to the summit would help me stay ready for the training…" Jack mumbled, as Abasi frowned.

"A good idea, but make sure that this is the _LAST _time you are late!" Abasi growled, a sudden edge in his voice, "And stop looking at me like that! It does no good to be ashamed. The deed is done."

Jack nodded, relieved that there were no serious consequences. He followed Abasi into a cave adjacent to the den, where a crude fighting ring had been constructed. Jack gulped, and Abasi leapt down into the ring with a grin.

"What are you waiting for? Scared?" he laughed. As big as Abasi was, Jack couldn't stand being mocked. With a growl, he leapt at Abasi's side, trying to catch him off-balance. Abasi sidestepped easily, and followed with a hit to Jack's face, using the momentum to make the hit even more devastating. Jack flew backwards, but somehow managed to land on his feet.

_Damn! That hurt! _Jack thought, seeing stars. He leapt again, this time managing to land a few decent hits before Abasi once again knocked him away. He was about to pounce once more, but Abasi leapt first, crashing into Jack. It felt like Jack took a sledgehammer in the stomach, but he knocked him off with a lucky hit to the eye.

"Huh, well you've made it longer than I expected, but you'll go down. Soon." Abasi said.

_He's not even winded! You've _GOT _to be kidding me! _Jack thought in amazement. Abasi leapt again, knocking him to the floor, and pinning him.

"Heh, thought so…" Abasi chuckled, making Jack even angrier. He tried to squirm out of the grip, but it was like trying to fight a block of iron. The anger inside him boiled into pure fury, and he felt a peculiar sensation on his shoulders. He gathered the last of his strength and threw Abasi off with such force that he was thrown a couple feet into the air. Jack glared at Abasi in hate, his vision a haze of red. He pounced with a deafening roar, and tossed Abasi away like a ragdoll. Jack battered him senseless, before his bloodlust dissipated. Jack backed away, looking at the battered and broken Abasi in horror.

_Is he…dead? H-how did I do that! _Jack thought, a million different things whirling through his mind at once.

"Abasi!" Jack screamed, running to his mentor's side, "Hey! Abasi, come on, stay with me!"

"Whoa…" he croaked, "That was…great…"

Jack sighed in relief, suddenly very tired.

"Same thing tomorrow, hmm?" Abasi said, with a grin on his face. He limped out of the cave, and Jack returned to his spot, still stunned at what he almost did. Too tired to worry about it further, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>I walked back to the tree, herb between my teeth. I wore a confident smile, finding the herb had been easy, and I had figured out a way to use my symbol that Rafiki hadn't even mentioned to me yet! I hopped up to the top of the tree, and placed the plant in front of Rafiki, my chest puffed out in confidence.<p>

"You have done well! Dis be de one I was looking for! Now come closer, I have a new lesson for you…" I leaned closer, eager to hear what he had to say. As he explained the way to make some sort of potion my thoughts drifted…

_ I wonder what Jack is doing right now? _I thought, as a feeling of sadness came over me. My thoughts were interrupted however, as Rafiki smacked me over the head with his staff… AGAIN!

"You are not listening!" He said with a frown.

"W-wha? No! I was listening!" I replied, rubbing my head once again.

"Den make de potion! Prove it!" he said, pointing to the one herb I collected, as well as some I had never seen before. My spirits fell, but as I reached for the first herb, the symbols burned again. In my mind I suddenly saw a series of images, which I hoped was the way to make the potion. Following the images in my mind, I took the first herb; a green plant with stringy roots, and split it down the middle with my claw. I mashed the second red herb to a paste, before adding them to a gourd. As I added the final ingredients, Rafiki peered at the finished potion with a smile.

"Good, good! I suppose you were listening…" Rafiki said, and I smiled.

_Yes! These symbols are real life savers! _I thought cheerily.

"…But de next time, don't use de symbols!" Rafiki added, with a grin, and my jaw dropped.

_WHAT! How did he know? _I thought, irritated that my victory had been so easily destroyed. I took the potion in my teeth gingerly and placed it to the side.

"So what exactly does that potion do anyways?" I asked, curious. Rafiki laughed again, and I turned to him, confused.

"It does nothing!" he exclaimed, still laughing, "I just wanted to see if you could follow de simplest instructions."

I sighed in annoyance.

_Typical Rafiki…_ I thought with a smile.

* * *

><p>And so, the two continued their training, sun up to sun down, every day for a half-year, when the day came they were deemed ready…<p>

I followed Rafiki to the clearing, curious. Various charms at my neck clicked as they knocked together. I had gained a deep respect for the old mandrill; his knowledge seemed unending.

"Ey, Rafiki, where exactly are we going? I asked. He just laughed and smiled.

"You will see! Be patient!" was his reply. I knew better than to disobey Rafiki, so I kept my mouth shut. He stopped, and held up a hand. I sat down, and waited. Sometime later, I heard a rustling in the brush behind me. I twisted around, and saw a familiar all-black lion emerge with another tan one.

"Jack…?" I asked, holding my breath in excitement.

"Hey Seth, long time no see, huh?" he said, with a laugh. I hugged him quickly; glad to see him, and we began telling the other about our training. Rafiki was whispering to the tan lion, occasionally peering over at Jack. He nodded, and walked over to us.

"Yes, it is time! You must begin travelling at once!" Rafiki exclaimed.

"Yes, there is no time to waste." The tan lion added, glancing at Jack before turning away.

"So, where exactly is our "destination"?" I asked, "It would help if we knew where to go…"

"Ah, yes!" Rafiki said with a smile, "You will be going to Pride Rock!"

**Please leave a review, helps me out a lot!**

**Yea, Rafiki loves hitting people with his stick. xD**


	5. Chapter 5: Simba's Pride

**To answer your question Jonny2b…I honestly never looked at it that way, but I see what you mean. So…I guess so? :P**

_Chapter five: Simba's Pride_

"Wow! This should be interesting…" I said, astonished.

"Wait…What rock?" Jack said, confused. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"It's the big rock on the horizon…" I explained, "It's not like it's hard to see or anything…"

His face lit up in recognition, and he nodded. We began our trek to Pride Rock as the sun began to rise. Rafiki had told me that the path should lead us directly to Pride Rock, and that we should arrive at about noon. As the minutes of silence went by, the only sounds I could hear were my charms clicking together, and Jack's heavy footfalls.

"So…What exactly is so important about this Pride Rock thing?" Jack asked, staring at the collection of stones in the distance.

"Well Jack, the _King _of these lands lives there, and so does the rest of his pride." I replied, and his eyes widened.

"So…We're going to see the King?" he mumbled, more to himself than me.

"Yeah, so don't do anything stupid." I replied warningly. He just turned away and padded on… We didn't talk for the rest of the journey, and I could tell Jack was anxious to meet the King.

Just as Rafiki had predicted, it was about noon when we were in sight of Pride Rock.

* * *

><p>As he sat on the top of the den, Simba looked down on his kingdom, remembering when he and his father had sat up here, and done the same. Simba was having a good day, with no disturbances in the Pride Lands. His tail flicked lazily, as he closed his eyes to try and get some rest. Just then, Simba felt something latch on to his shoulder, and prod him awake.<p>

"Zazu…What is it now?" Simba sighed, sitting up.

"Sire! Two lions approach Pride Rock!" Zazu exclaimed, out of breath.

"What! Outlanders?" Simba asked in alarm, trying to catch a glimpse of the two figures slowly coming closer to Pride Rock.

_Where's Nala? _Simba thought, _She'll have no chance if she has to fight with the cub weighing her down!_

"Zazu! Fly ahead and find Nala! I'll rally the pride to face these two…" He said, racing down the slope. A fury burned in Simba's heart towards the Outlanders… And he wasn't just about to let two of their kind come waltzing into the Pridelands…

* * *

><p>"Jack…You realize that we'll have to find ourselves new names?" I said.<p>

"Yea, I thought so… Our names don't really sound normal here, do they?" he replied, and I nodded. I thought for a moment, trying to think of two names that would at least make us seem somewhat normal.

"Hmm… How about Kifo, and… Moju?" I asked, looking at Jack to see if he approved.

"Alright, those'll have to do." He replied with a shrug.

_Moju…Hmm…I like it! _I thought, grinning to myself. Jack/Kifo suddenly stopped, peering around at the tall grass around us. Just then, lionesses jumped out of the bushes beside our path, forming a circle around us. At their head was a golden lion with a red mane, who approached us menacingly.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" He roared in fury, "You were exiled with Zira and the others! The penalty for returning here is DEATH!"

_Wait...what? Who's Zira? _I wondered.

"Uhh… Who's Zira?" I asked him. He stopped, and looked at us in bewilderment.

"So you DON'T know Zira?" he asked hopefully, a little less tense now.

"Nope! Never heard of her before. Who is she?" Kifo inquired, "We come from the Mountain pride, my name is Kifo, and this is my brother Moju."

_Mountain pride? I hope you know what you're doing…Kifo… _I stared at him in amazement.

"Well, that's a relief…Zira… She killed my son, so she and her followers were exiled to the Outlands." The other lion said, "My name is Simba, I am king of these lands."

I relaxed; glad that we could sort that out. Simba beckoned us closer, and we began to make our way to Pride Rock.

"You two certainly don't seem like any lions I've ever seen…" he said, eyeing the symbols on our shoulders. I nodded.

"My brother here is a warrior, whereas I am a healer." I explained to him, and he smiled.

"Healer you say? We could certainly use you, and additional lions never hurt." He said. I laughed, and even saw Kifo give a halfhearted chuckle. When we finally reached Pride Rock, I could see that many of the lionesses were eyeing us suspiciously, and I felt a little awkward being the center of attention.

"Make yourselves at home, I'll be sure to reassure everyone." Simba said. I moved to one side of the rock, and sat down, trying to act inconspicuous. Kifo followed suit. As Simba informed the pride, I lay my head on my paws and watched the pride rush about. I hated this inactivity! It made me feel so useless. Kifo simply sat there and sharpened his claws, the grating sound setting my nerves on edge. I decided to walk up to Simba.

"Simba, is there anything I can do here? I hate feeling so useless." I asked, and he thought for a moment before replying.

"If you are truly a healer, then you can go and try to aid some of the lionesses in the den. Some still are recovering from our last conflict with the Outlanders." He said, looking into the den with a concerned expression. I nodded, and padded into the den, examining the injured. There were 5 in total; most had severe cuts across their bodies. Simba stood outside, watching curiously. I placed my paw upon each of their wounds, speaking the healing words and watching as the bruises and cuts slowly faded away. Each stared at their now closed wounds in amazement, and I smiled. My work complete, I walked out of the den, trying to be nonchalant as I once again was the center of attention. Returning to my place near my brother, I lay down, satisfied. I grinned at Kifo, he just sighed.

"Show off…" he grumbled, and I laughed.

* * *

><p>Day turned to evening, as the shimmering red sun disappeared beyond the horizon. I heard a deafening roar, as Simba signaled for a meeting.<p>

"Now, surely most of you have seen, or met our two newest members…" he gestured towards us with a grin, "Moju has aided us greatly, and if his brother is truly as great as he says, then we will have a good fight tonight!"

The pride roared their approval, and then they dispersed. Simba approached Kifo, with a mischievous look on his face.

"You'd better get ready!" he said, walking away without looking back. Kifo sighed, and began a series of stretches, undoubtedly learned from his "training". I sat to the side and stared at the stars for a time, until the fight was to begin.

As I walked towards the crude arena, I was excited to see how Kifo would fare against the undoubtedly veteran Simba. The two began circling each other, growling. Simba pounced first, and Kifo flashed under him. Simba fell to the floor, but righted himself before Kifo could make any sort of retaliation. The fight progressed as such, with Simba pouncing, only to come crashing to the floor. The repeated attacks had exhausted him, and dodging the other lion had also tired Kifo. But, unlike Simba, he had one last trick up his sleeve. Summoning the rage stored inside him, Kifo roared, and proceeded to leap at Simba full force. He hit Simba like a battering ram, and in his tired state, Simba fell to the ground in a heap. Silence fell as Kifo pinned Simba to the ground, the clear winner. I was the first to cheer for my brother, the others sat dumbfounded. A slow, roaring cheer grew as the crowd celebrated the fight they had been so fortunate to see. Kifo managed a small bow before padding out of the arena. I laughed as I caught up with him, and he smiled.

"It can't be THAT much of a surprise, surely even kings get beaten sometimes?" he said sarcastically.

"Maybe you'll be worth something after all." I replied mockingly as he swiped at me, laughing.

**Not really much story progression, but I like this chapter. :D**

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	6. Chapter 6: I've been expecting you

_Chapter six: Welcome…I've been expecting you…_

Meanwhile, in the Outlands, a scheming Zira waited. She drummed her paws upon the rock she was sitting on happily, smiling in glee. Joy… A feeling she hadn't experienced since she shook the life from Simba's son, Kopa. The bastard child had been in love with Vitani, and Zira had to put a stop to it. She laughed at the memory of Simba looking on in horror, as she ripped the tiny cub to shreds. Hopefully, with what was to transpire tonight she would be able to do the same… To Simba. Suddenly, as if materializing from the darkness, a whole pride of lions approached Zira. She laughed maliciously.

_Perfect! _She thought. The lead lion approached her, a large figure with pristine white fur and an equally white mane. He shook his head and peered at the rabble of scrawny lionesses around him in distaste.

"Welcome…I've been expecting you…" Zira said, eyeing him with interest. Ignoring her, he peered around at the rabble of scrawny lionesses that was Zira's pride.

"_This_ is your pride?" He said, pointing in the direction of Zira's pride, "Pathetic, but they will have their uses…"

"Yes, yes… Now, you are willing to aid us?" She asked, eyeing the other pride with an almost surreal feeling of excitement.

"As long as you are sure to let me be king once we deal with this…Simba…" he said demandingly.

"Oh, but of course! You may have anything, as long as Simba dies." She replied quickly, surprised that they reached an agreement so early, "But I must know your name… Informalities will not do in the coming months."

"Very well… My name is Adhabu." He said, expressionless.

"How very fitting…" Zira replied, grinning, "We must begin immediately, before Simba finds out you are here."

"As you wish, we have already made plans for such an occasion." Adhabu said, motioning three of pride to follow him. They moved silently into the Pridelands, disappearing into the tall grass…

* * *

><p>As the sun rose above the horizon, Simba smiled. Chirping could be heard as the birds of the Pridelands began to wake. Today was going to be a good day, he could feel it. A young lioness by the name of Amani was to take her huntress test today, and the whole pride was buzzing with excitement as she sprinted from Pride Rock happily.<p>

_That'll be Kiara one day… _Simba thought, a smile spreading across his features as he thought of his tiny daughter. He turned back towards the den as Zazu flew down and landed on Simba's shoulder, giving him his morning agenda.

The day passed quickly for young Amani, following the herds of antelope as she tried to take one down. All her attempts so far had failed, and thinking it was her own clumsy fault, she moved on to follow the herds. Without realizing it, she was led closer and closer to the Outlands…

Adhabu smiled, as the unsuspecting lioness came ever so closer to where his pack lay in wait. He could hear her growls of frustration, as the herds were once again diverted by his fellow lions. Without a moments delay, he pounced upon her and pinned her to the ground. She was so stunned she couldn't even manage a scream as her assailant knocked her out cold…

* * *

><p>Back in the Outlands, Zira eagerly awaited the return of Adhabu, and the undoubtedly good news brought with him. After a few minutes patient waiting, Adhabu and his three lions came back with a young lioness.<p>

"We plan on waiting for Simba, who will most likely come here when he realizes that she isn't coming back. Then, the fun will begin…" he said, with an evil laugh. Zira didn't know what he had in store for the young lioness, but she knew it would be quite painful. A few hours later, as predicted, Simba showed up with his lionesses, and two strange looking new additions…

"ZIRA!" he roared in hate, "Where's Amani!"

She laughed maniacally, and Adhabu walked up next to Zira, holding a battered and bloody but quite awake Amani. Simba saw the state she was in, which only infuriated him more.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" he yelled, "You sick BASTARDS!"

Zira nodded, and Adhabu unsheathed his claws, bringing them to rest upon Amani's exposed neck with a sadistic grin. Amani shut her eyes, as tears began to flow down her face.

"Don't. You. Dare." He whispered, as one of his lionesses began to cry.

_Undoubtedly the mother of this one… _Zira thought. Ever so slowly, Adhabu slit the young lionesses' throat, watching in glee as Simba roared in grief, and the wailing of her mother became louder. Feeling the warm blood flow through his fur made Adhabu giddy, and he threw the lifeless corpse at the feet of Simba, laughing. Zira roared in glorious exultation, the new lions doing exactly what she had hoped they would. Zira and her pride turned and walked away, as Simba picked up the still body, returning to Pride Rock.

"I WILL _KILL _YOU ZIRA! Simba shouted, eyes alight with a terrifying fire.

"You can try, Simba…" She replied laughing.

_The plan is working perfectly! _She thought, _Now… Simba will surely retaliate, outside of his precious Pride Lands…_

She looked back, her vision drawn to the two strange lions still staring at her. The larger of the two stared at her with the same fury that Simba had, his claws raking the ground in anger. The other just stared at her with his piercing eyes that seemed to stare into her soul, sending a chill down her spine. They both turned away, and for some reason, Zira knew that these two would be trouble in the future. But her new allies would cause more pain than either of those two could _ever _do. Reassured, she padded back to her den. As she lay down to sleep, she wondered if she would even ever need little Kovu now that Adhabu had promised to give his aid to Zira's cause… But he was chosen by Scar, and she never doubted anything that Scar had done, so she dismissed the thought and slept.

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	7. Chapter 7: Retaliation!

**Sorry for the short update, but I had a ton of projects to get done…**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

_Chapter seven: Retaliation!_

We walked back to Pride Rock in respectful silence. The death of Amani had shaken Simba, and I could tell he was itching to get at Zira.

"Simba… You know that retaliation is exactly what Zira wants…" I started, trying to dissuade him from rushing blindly at Zira.

"I KNOW!" he roared at me, "But we can't just let them kill one of us and let it go unanswered!"

Not wanting to aggravate him further, I kept my mouth shut. I looked over at Kifo, seeing that he seemed detached from the world, head hung.

_Probably in shock… _I thought sympathetically. Being trained as a healer, I was accustomed to the horror that was death… Kifo on the other hand, well it was something he would have to get used to. That white lion… Who was he? Simba never told us about him… Whoever he was he was equally, or even more terrible than Zira.

Back at Pride Rock, we buried Amani, and spent a few minutes in respectful silence. Quiet weeping could be heard throughout the pride as we turned away from the grave. Kifo padded into the den, and I decided to leave him be. I walked over to Simba, who was now pacing around on top of Pride Rock, muttering to himself.

"Simba! See reason! You can't go out there, Zira will kill you." I said, pleading, "She may be a crazy bitch, but she's cunning, and if she sees you in the Outlands… Well it won't be pretty."

"But we need to do something to show Zira that she can't just walk into the Pridelands and kill whoever, or whatever she feels like!" he snarled.

"Well then…" I said with a sigh, "At least take some lionesses with you, you can't do it alone."

"Do you want me to put _MORE _of the pride at risk?" he shouted, "No! This is something I have to do. Myself!"

"You're going to get yourself killed! What good will leaving the pride without a leader do? That's what Zira wants!" I shouted back.

"Nala can lead without me… Zira has to die…" he murmured, walking away from Pride Rock.

"No." I heard a voice from behind me say. I turned around and saw Kifo looking down, his cold, hard gaze staring out at the Outlands.

"I'm going with you, Simba. Those bastards will die." He said coldly. I gave up.

"FINE! Both of you idiots can go and get yourselves killed. I don't care!" I yelled, turning back into the den, ignoring the peculiar looks all of the lionesses were giving me. I put my head down and closed my eyes…

* * *

><p>Kifo walked next to Simba, and silently they both padded into the Outlands. As expected, Zira was waiting for them, with a number of white lions at her flanks. She laughed at the two in front of her.<p>

"Well now… Who do we have here? Oh! Simba…" she said maliciously, "How nice of you to drop by, my friends and I have been waiting for you!"

"Drop the act, you bitch. You know why we're here." Kifo said, looking at Zira in hate.

"Ah, and Simba brought a friend! Well, the more the merrier!" she said with a snarl, "Attack!"

The white lions at her sides pounced in front of the two, grinning. Kifo and Simba pounced as one, roaring and slashing with all their fury. Two lions pinned Simba to the ground, but before they could tear his throat out, Kifo had torn them off, and eviscerated their midsections. They fell to the floor in a pool of blood, gurgling. Kifo roared as he received a gash to his right hind leg. Simba had received many cuts and bruises as well. As their situation declined further and further, Kifo made one last final effort to kill Zira. He jumped up, and landed next to Zira. She was so surprised that she didn't react until he had brutally snapped her front leg. She roared in pain as she saw her bone stick out from the wound.

"AHH!" she screamed, stopping the fight, "Leave these two! Help me you idiots!" She barked at the remaining white lions. They knocked Kifo to the ground and helped Zira limp away. Kifo helped an injured Simba up, and they observed the carnage. Five unrecognizable bodies lay still, their blood soaking into the ground and into their once pristine fur. They turned away and let the bodies rot, a reminder to any future trespassers that they were not welcome. They walked silently back to Pride Rock, blood soaking their fur. When they walked up the slope to the den, they were regarded with a sense of awe, but neither seemed to notice. They were extremely tired from their battle and so fell asleep the moment they closed their eyes.

**Lol, I never thought I'd get to 10k (close enough) words xD**

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	8. Chapter 8: One crazy plan

_Chapter 8: One crazy plan…_

_Those damn lucky idiots… _I thought to myself, as I saw my brother, and Simba come padding into the den. They looked as if they'd been through hell and back, but they wore happy, victorious smiles. They both fell to the floor in exhaustion, asleep the moment they hit the ground.

_Not much of a victory… _I thought, looking over the two, _It probably only made Zira angrier towards us, something that could've been avoided! No matter now, the deed has been done…_

I got up and exited the den, heading over to the watering hole for a drink. As I leaned over to take a drink, my thoughts wandered to Simba's daughter, Kiara. Already, she was a big troublemaker, a little furball of energy who just couldn't stay away from anything new to her. But… Something didn't feel right. I felt that Kiara would have an important role to play in the years to come. It shouldn't have bothered me, her being the King's daughter, but the feeling still wouldn't go away. Confused, I padded off to look for the one person I knew would have the answer… Rafiki.

* * *

><p>As I approached Rafiki's tree, he poked his head out of the big leaves, looking down at me with a frown.<p>

"You! I thought I sent you away? What you be doin' back?" he asked, clambering down the large tree.

"There's something I need to ask you, Rafiki… About Kiara. I feel she has a bigger role to play in the coming years than expected. I know she is Simba's daughter and all, but this feels different…" I explained to him. He nodded, almost as if he had been expecting the question, and beckoned me up the tree. I followed him, and as I reached the center of the great tree, Rafiki pointed to two new drawings on his "wall". One was golden, like Simba. The other was a dark brown.

_The first must be Kiara… But who's the second? _I wondered. The second drawing was on the other side of the tree, away from Simba and Kiara's drawings. It was facing them, and suddenly I realized…

"Kovu? What does _HE _have to do with Kiara and Simba? He's the son of Zira! Simba's _ENEMY_!" I asked, alarmed. Rafiki just shook his head and smiled. He took two halves of a gourd on the floor, and put them together, each half covering a drawing. My jaw dropped in shock. It would never work!

"Uhhm… Rafiki, are you CRAZY!" I shouted at him, "How will this ever work out? Kovu is the "prince" of the Outlands. Zira would NEVER let him near anything or anyone related to Simba. Especially his daughter!"

"Dat is what I said! De spirits were de ones who gave me de idea!" he replied, frowning, "But I know to never question da spirits. So, I'll do everything I can to make dis work."

I sighed, hoping that Rafiki knew what he was doing. I thanked Rafiki for the insight, and headed back to Pride Rock. A peculiar silence emanated from the normally lively home. Confused, I headed into the den, where Simba's mother, Sarabi was lying, looking up at me as I entered.

"Looking for everyone? They went down to the Outlands… Apparently, Kiara strayed too far from the Pridelands, and so of course Simba got worried…" She explained, a line of worry creasing her brows, "I hope Kiara is okay… Simba worries too much, but for good reason. His last son, Kopa… Was murdered when he was captured by Zira…"

I nodded, and sprinted off to find the others. After a few minutes running, I caught sight of the pride, everyone surrounding what appeared to be a lone lioness and her cub. As I got closer, I could hear their heated conversation. I noticed a nasty looking wound on her front leg, undoubtedly from her conflict with Simba and Kifo the day before.

"…Where we have less food, little water-" the lioness said, feigning despair.

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pridelands!" Simba said, cutting her off.

_Zira is here… So that cub must be… Kovu? _I wondered.

"But the child does not!" Zira snarled back, "However, if you need your pound of flesh… Here…"

She pushed the small cub directly in front of Simba. Disgusted that she would offer her cub to be killed so readily, Simba turned away.

"Take him and get out." He said, picking up Kiara, "We're finished here…"

"Oh no Simba…" Zira said, eyeing Kiara with interest, "We have barely begun!"

She cackled maniacally before picking up Kovu and limping back towards the Outlands. I approached Simba warily; irritating him in this state wouldn't be a good idea…

"Simba, what happened? Why was Zira here? And more importantly, why was Kovu?" I asked.

"Kiara strayed into the Outlands, and found Kovu… She almost got herself killed, as well…" he replied, looking down at Kiara in disapproval. She averted her eyes from her father's angry gaze. I nodded, and marched with the others heading back to Pride Rock. Simba stopped a few hundred yards from Pride Rock to give Kiara a lecture. As Simba and Kiara came back to Pride Rock, Simba seemed to be in a much better mood. The alleviation of Simba's anger had made everyone a little bit more relaxed. It had been a long day for everyone, and we were all eagerly awaiting the chance to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Kiara was being her normal troublesome self. Glad that Simba wasn't awake yet, I decided to ask her some questions. She looked up at me in confusion as I approached.<p>

"Wha…? What do you want?" she asked. I smiled.

"I just need to tell you Kiara, that your dad really doesn't like the Outlanders…" I started.

"Well DUH! Everyone knows that." She interrupted, rolling her eyes.

"…But not all the Outlanders are as bad as he thinks." I continued, "Like Kovu, for example. Just because he's an Outlander doesn't mean that he's bad, right?"

"Yeah! I liked Kovu, and we had a real fun time with those alligators! Daddy's just too worried I'll get hurt!" she agreed, smiling. I laughed.

"Don't tell your dad that, now!" I replied, grinning.

_Well, Rafiki… At least it's possible, if remotely… _I thought as I walked out into the morning air. I padded out from Pride Rock, and began gathering various ingredients for a potion that, I hoped, would ease some of the pain Sarabi was having as a result of her old age. I felt the familiar burning of the symbols as the images of the herbs were inscribed into my minds. I set about my task, traveling all across the Pridelands to find the ingredients. When I finally finished, it was well into the night, and I spent some time gazing up at the stars.

_Such a glorious sight… _I thought in awe. The longer I gazed at the stars, the heavier my eyelids seemed to be, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

I woke up in the morning feeling quite refreshed, but then I remembered where I was.

_Oh damn, did I fall asleep out here? _I thought, as I raced back to Pride Rock. When I arrived, Kifo approached me, obviously relieved that I was back.

"Hey Moju, where did you run off to? We thought you had been taken by Zira or something, geez that was a scare!" he said, smiling.

"Yea, I just fell asleep out in the Pridelands without realizing it." I said, a little sheepishly.

"Hey, well at least you're back, I'm glad that we didn't lose you." he added, smiling. I laughed and punched his shoulder good-naturedly. Something nagged at the back of my mind though, and I just couldn't remember what it was!

_Oh right, the potion! _I thought.

"Hey Kifo, I'll be right back." I said, heading into the den. Approaching Sarabi, I laid the potion before her. She eyed it tentatively.

"What, exactly does it do?" She asked, sniffing the sweet smelling mixture.

"It should help ease any pain you feel, being as old as you are." I explained.

"Old?" she scoffed, before drinking the potion. I smiled and walked out of the den, hurrying over to where Kifo stood waiting. Feeling satisfied, we walked out into the Pridelands…

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	9. Chapter 9: An eventful day

**Sorry for the late update, but I've had a lot going on. :s**

**I made up for it with a long chapter! :D**

_Chapter nine: One eventful day_

The years passed by, and Kiara grew into a beautiful young lioness. Her quick wit and ready smile made her liked by everyone, but her mischievous attitude got her into trouble more often than not. Kifo had decided to leave the Pride, intentions unknown…

I opened my eyes and yawned, peering around the den. Most of the pride was likely preparing for Kiara's big day; the day of her huntress' test. I padded out of the den as quietly as I could, smiling encouragingly at a worried Simba.

"Kiara will be fine Simba… I said, trying to calm him down, "She _WAS _trained by the best huntress in the Pride, after all." I added, grinning at Nala.

"Thanks, Moju!" Nala replied, laughing. Even Simba managed a chuckle at my joke. Silence fell among the lionesses as Kiara emerged from the den, taking a deep breath before descending Pride Rock to where Simba, Nala, and I sat. As she walked down, I could hear the lionesses whispering encouragingly to Kiara. Kiara nuzzled her mother happily, and then turned to Simba with a serious expression.

"Daddy, you have to promise to let me do this on my own, promise?" She said, looking at Simba with a hopeful expression. Simba thought for a moment before answering.

"Alright… I promise." He sighed, with a smile. Kiara nuzzled Simba for a brief moment before running to the edge of Pride Rock, looking back at us excitedly. Simba nodded, and she bounded down into the Pridelands.

"Have fun, Kiara!" I called to her with a grin.

"I will Uncle Moju!" She replied, laughing. I felt a warm happiness when she called me that. With her father tending to his kingly duties and no one else her age to talk to, Kiara had often turned to me when she wanted to talk. She began to see me as a kind of father figure, and had called me "Uncle Moju" since then. I turned away, padding back to the den to get some more rest. About halfway to the den, I heard Simba call his two friends over, and whisper something in their ears before turning away. I had a vague idea of what he had just told them to do, and I shook my head in disappointment. He had even promised Kiara she could do it on her own too!

_Those two are bound to screw something up… _I thought, lying down in the den as I tried to sleep.

* * *

><p>Kiara sprinted out into the Pridelands with a smile, glad that her father had finally seen that she wasn't a cub anymore and stopped sending "escorts" with her. She spotted a herd of wildebeest in the distance, and began stalking them in the tall savannah grass. She was about to pounce, but she accidentally stepped on a dry twig, which cracked loudly as the heavy lion snapped it in two. Alerted to her presence, the herd quickly ran away. Kiara pounced, but was too late to catch anything. Huffing in annoyance, she continued to follow the herd.<p>

Later, Kiara had stopped to stalk her prey once again, this time using a large rock as camouflage. Slowly padding up the rock, she noticed a loose rock on the ground, and carefully stepped over it with her front paws. Unfortunately, she didn't remember to do the same with her back paws, and the rock rolled across the ground, making a loud scraping noise. Once again, the herd was alerted to Kiara's presence, and once again she tried to catch one of the fleeing wildebeest without success.

She ran after the herd once again, this time finding two hunched over figures left in the path of the wildebeest…

"Timon…_WHAT_ are you doing here?" Kiara asked, annoyed.

"Uhh… Shopping! We thought a nice pelt for the den, some throw pillows… A little potpourri!-" he replied hastily.

"My father sent you!" Kiara interrupted, hurt that her father would lie again, "After he promised to let me do this on my own, he lied!"

"No… He just doesn't want you to get hurt!" Timon said, concerned.

"I should've known he'd never give me a real chance!" Kiara exclaimed, running off, "I'll do this on my own… _AWAY_ from the Pridelands!"

She quickly outran the duo, hearing them cry her name repeatedly. She looked back, out of breath, and then turned towards the border to continue her hunt. She zeroed in on a sickly wildebeest, making sure there were no rocks or sticks for her to bump into.

_THIS time… _she thought triumphantly, _I'll finally kill a wildebeest!_

Suddenly, the wildebeest's ears perked up, looking off to the left. It bolted away, and soon the rest of its herd followed suit. Kiara looked up, confused.

_What the…? _She thought, peering at the horizon, _What scared them off?_

Then she saw it… A gigantic, all-consuming wall of fire, trailing a crazed herd of various animals as it seemed to grow in size. She was rooted to the spot in fear, as the stampede barreled down the hill towards her. She regained her senses, and ran for her life…

* * *

><p>I woke up, feeling much better. I went to check how Simba was handling Kiara being out on her own. He was pacing back and forth on the end of Pride Rock, where a concerned Zazu tried to calm him down. But… Something was off, what was it? I peered around Pride Rock, looking for whatever was giving me this feeling. Then I caught a whiff of something foreign in the air. Smoke. I looked out onto the savannah, where I saw a huge column of black smoke rising near the border.<p>

"Uhm… Simba…?" I asked, alarmed. He didn't seem to hear me, as worried as he was.

"SIMBA!" I yelled. That got his attention.

"What! What is it Moju?" he asked, looking up at me in surprise. I pointed to the column of smoke in the distance, and his eyes widened in terror.

"No… NO! KIARA!" he shouted, sprinting down the rocks.

"Zazu, Moju go ahead, find her!" He barked orders at us. The rest of the pride got up to run after Simba as Zazu and I raced ahead. As we approached the border, Zazu yelled something, but I was too far ahead to hear it. He turned around, flying back the way we came. I continued forward, rushing through a small shrub, where I was halted by a familiar hand…

"No! Do not interfere!" A voice said from within the bush.

"What the… Who the hell are you, telling me what to do!" I shouted at it, trying to jump forward. I was interrupted once again, this time because I tripped as a stiff object was smacked against my front legs.

"Ow! What the…?" I exclaimed, looking around in wonder, "Who did that?"

"I surprised you don't remember me! Ahehehehe!" the voice laughed, mocking me.

"…Rafiki?" I wondered out loud. Rafiki emerged from the bush, pointing his scawny finger down at the river below me.

"Look dere! You see?" he said, pointing at two figures in the river. Both were lions, that was for sure, one had golden fur… Was it Kiara? The other had dark brown fur, and a black mane. He appeared to be dragging who I assumed to be Kiara out of the river by the scruff of her neck. He reached the banks of the river and put Kiara down. She opened her eyes, and then stood up, angrily demanding something from the other lion, who looked on in disbelief. Kiara stomped away from the river, but was blocked as the other lion pounced in front of her. This continued several times, before Kiara perked her head up in wonder. Just then, Simba came roaring out of the bushes, interrupting their conversation and making the dark lion back up a few paces in surprise.

"Dere! Now go! De time for waiting is over!" Rafiki said, shoving me towards the scene. I nodded, and raced towards Simba, Kiara, and now Nala as the conversation unfolded.

"…break your promise?" Kiara demanded angrily.

"It's a good thing I did! I almost lost you… No more hunts for you. Not ever!" Simba replied, looking at her, equally angry.

"But I was doing just fine!" She explained, "Even before Kovu-"

"Kovu!" Simba snarled, and both lions started roaring at each other.

_Kovu…? _I wondered, doing a mental comparison. Same coat, same eyes… Yep, that's Kovu. I rushed over to Simba's side.

"Hey! You! How DARE you save de king's daughter!" Rafiki said mockingly. I laughed, and it seemed that everyone noticed me for the first time. Simba glared at me, and Kiara gave me a similar look. It seemed I was the only one in good spirits at the moment…

"You saved her? Why?" Simba questioned, claws raking the ground.

"I humbly ask to join your pride." Kovu replied with his head held high.

"NO! You were banished with the other Outsiders!" Simba roared, making Kovu shrink back.

"I have left the Outsiders…I'm a rogue…Judge me now, for who I am… Or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit? Kovu sneered. This made Simba back up a few paces. He roared in frustration, and began pacing back and forth. Once again, I laughed. There was something undeniably funny about being the only happy person in a crowd.

"Simba… You owe him your daughter's life!" Nala said, looking at Simba accusingly.

"Yes sire, clearly you are in his debt, and royal protocol dictates all debts must be paid. But in _THIS _case, you might want to make an exception." Zazu spat. Simba looked back at Kovu, who had his nose in the air, eyes closed.

"Simba…" I started, grinning, "I think we should give him a chance… Things might turn out contrary to what you think!"

Simba thought things over, still torn between his duty, and what he felt was right.

"My father's law will prevail… For now, I reserve judgment." Simba muttered, walking away. Kovu looked over at Kiara in excitement, and Kiara returned the look. I quickly walked over to Kiara, smiling.

"Glad that's over, huh? I hate to see your dad angry!" I whispered to her, and she giggled.

"You got that right!" She replied, smiling, "Hey, Uncle Moju! I'm really glad that Kovu gets to stay!" she added. I laughed.

"Yeah, so am I…" I murmured, thoughts returning to the prophecy Rafiki had explained to me. Kiara looked on curiously.

"What…?" she asked confusedly. I shook my head.

"Nothing, nothing. Let's get back to Pride Rock. I'm tired." I yawned. Kiara just laughed and fell in behind me.

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	10. Chapter 10: Leader

_Chapter ten: Leader_

Kifo slowly walked away from Pride Rock, taking one last glance at his temporary home before turning away. Despite Simba and his brother's pleading, he had decided to leave this life behind. It wasn't that life at Pride Rock wasn't good, it just felt… Lacking. Sure, he could hunt to pass the time, but he wanted more. Being a follower wasn't the kind of thing Kifo enjoyed. He was going to find another pride, beat their weak ruler down, and become a king. He smiled at the thought, finding sudden inspiration in the idea of being "royalty". But first, he had to pay a visit to an old friend…

Stopping by the great tree where Rafiki lived, Kifo stopped to remember the first day he spent here. Remembering how utterly amazing the savannah was, but also how dangerous and terrifying it was. He had also met his mentor, Abasi at this very spot. A feeling of deep respect came over him as he thought of Abasi, the one who trained him to become what he was today: A killing machine, built to do one thing and one thing only. But he had wasted enough time reminiscing, and so trudged on. It was almost sundown when he reached the base of the familiar spiked mountain, so Kifo had to hurry up the face, using the niches in the rock to speed his ascent as he had so many times before. At the top of the mountain, he was greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The once lush green grass was covered in filth, with small animal carcasses dotting the ground.

_What the…? _Kifo thought, observing the ravaged land first in horror, then in fury.

_Who would do this? Surely Abasi wouldn't let… _His thoughts trailed off, as a sudden realization hit him: _What if it wasn't Abasi?_

He sprinted towards the familiar clearing where he first met the "mountain pride", heart racing. He heard a tremendous roar that stunned him for a few moments, as he heard a furious lion's voice resonate throughout the clearing.

"NO! I STRICTLY SAID NO MORE OF THESE PETTY BIRDS! I need an ANTELOPE! Are you deaf?" The voice roared. Kifo heard an equally furious female lion's voice shout back.

"In case you haven't noticed, idiot, WE'RE ON TOP OF A FUCKING MOUNTAIN! How the hell am I supposed to find any antelope up here, huh?" she growled, and Kifo couldn't help but feel that he had heard this voice before…

Kifo rushed ahead curiously, trying to discern the sources of the two voices arguing. He came up to a small cave, where a rather large lion sat, practically foaming at the mouth in rage. Kifo heard a small twig underneath him snap, and all the lionesses in the cave turned their attention to him. He looked up, as most of the lionesses narrowed their eyes at him, hissing. The one lioness who had been arguing looked straight at him, and a glimmer of hope sparkled in her eyes.

"WHAT are you doing here?" the large lion growled, getting up with some difficulty.

"Err… I came here to join your pride." Kifo said, mind racing as he tried to come up with a decent excuse. The larger lion suddenly smiled warmly, and unsheathed his claws. Kifo was confused, to say the least.

"Really now? Well I have been looking for someone who can do my dirty work for me…" he replied, gesturing to the large layers of fat that seemed to cover his body, "You see, I am too esteemed to have to be doing ALL the work myself after all."

This made the lioness that had been arguing ground her claws into the dirt in fury, but she kept her mouth shut.

"So yes, you may join! But do not cause any trouble. I'd hate to have to kill you." He said, a look of mock sadness on his face. Kifo nodded, and the larger lion's smile widened.

"Very well, you live with the rest of the pride, over there. Go! Leave me be." He pointed to a small outcropping of caves on the side of the mountain. Kifo padded over to the one lioness, who looked as if she'd been in innumerable fights. Her left ear was torn in half, and scars crisscrossed her body. She looked at him, confused.

"What _ARE _you doing here?" she asked, staring at Kifo suspiciously.

"I came to find Abasi, where is he? And why is the land so…Dead?" Kifo replied, "I need answers! I know Abasi would never let this happen to the mountains."

She looked away sadly, which only worried Kifo more. She turned away and began to walk towards the caves with the rest of the pride.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kifo shouted, running after her. She looked back at him with misty eyes.

"Abasi is dead." She whispered. Kifo felt like he was punched in the gut.

_No… It CAN'T be true… _He thought, shaking his head.

"My father… He was poisoned… by that sick bastard… He doesn't even have the dignity to give us his name… He makes us call him 'The Emperor'." She continued, tears flowing down her face now, "I remember you, it's Kifo, right? My name's Nevir. When I saw you here, I thought there might be some chance we can finally get rid of that monster…"

Kifo could only stare at her in shock, she was Abasi's DAUGHTER?

"Please, will you help us? This can't go on… We haven't the number of lionesses to kill him ourselves, but for you? It should be easy…" Nevir said, looking up at Kifo pleadingly. That was enough to shake Kifo out of his shock.

"I will. This 'Emperor' needs to pay for killing Abasi." He growled. She looked up at him happily.

"Thank you…" was all she could mutter before she fell to the ground, exhausted.

* * *

><p>Kifo awoke the next morning to even more shouting between the large lion, and Nevir. As groggy as he was, he couldn't make out their conversation, but he assumed it was again about food. Nevir stormed back inside the den, and began pacing around, muttering curses under her breath. She turned to Kifo.<p>

"Today! You have to kill him…TODAY!" she practically shouted, making Kifo flinch, "He says that if we don't get him food, he'll start killing us! And EATING the remains!"

Kifo shuddered, horrifying images of cannibalism coming to his mind. He dismissed the images, and nodded.

"Alright… Tonight, while he's asleep, I'll slit his throat." Kifo whispered, his cunning mind forming a plan that would hopefully bring this tyrant down…

And so the day passed, with Kifo going out with the hunting party to try and look for food. Eventually, Kifo and Nevir snuck off to discuss the "plan"…

"It's actually not all that complicated…" Kifo said awkwardly, "All I plan on doing is walking in to his cave and well…"

"So you dragged me all the way out here just to tell me your one, simple plan?" Nevir asked, annoyed. Kifo shrugged.

"You are SO unbearably stupid!" she growled, punching Kifo's shoulder.

"Well excuse me! Sorry for never staging a coup before!" Kifo retorted, glaring at her.

"Sorry, sorry." She sighed, "It's just that I want him gone. As soon as possible."

"THAT I can understand…" Kifo started, a little hesitant, "So, Abasi was your dad? What was he like? From MY point of view, well, he doesn't look like someone you'd really want to get on the bad side of…"

At the mention of Abasi, Nevir's eyes once again teared up. She turned away, leaving Kifo feeling guilty for what he said.

"Hey, hey… Its ok, I didn't mean to-" he began, but was interrupted as Nevir spun around and buried her face in his mane, sobs racking her body. He was surprised, but he realized all the pent up grief she had with her father's death and being attacked every day by this new lion was tearing her apart.

"It's ok, it's ok." He said softly, patting her back as the sobs quieted. They sat there for a few minutes, each enjoying the other's embrace.

"I-it's just that… You remind me of him…" Nevir whispered, her red rimmed eyes looking up at Kifo.

"We should, ah… Get back now…" Kifo said awkwardly. Nevir sniffled and walked away.

"Yea, they're probably worried about us…"

With that, Kifo and Nevir walked back to the mountain, although now they both felt a little bit better.

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	11. Chapter 11: On the hunt

**I'm really sorry about this late update…**

**But if you want something to blame… Blame StarCraft 2(I SWEAR TO GOD THAT GAME IS LACED WITH CRACK) or school projects (Oh how I hate them!). :P**

_Chapter eleven: On the hunt!_

I sighed in annoyance. Why did life as a lion have to be such a drag sometimes? It seemed like all I did was sleep, eat, or go run around the Pridelands…

_I wish Kifo was here… At least I wouldn't be that bored then… _I thought sadly.

I shook my head, and pushed those thoughts from my mind; being sad wouldn't help anything. I padded over to Nala, who was forming hunting groups for the day.

_Whew! Not too late! _I thought with relief.

"Moju! What are you doing here?" She asked, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. I smiled awkwardly.

"Well, Nala… I was wondering if I could join one of your hunting parties for today." I said, hopeful. She smiled at me.

"Well, you ARE kind of inexperienced, but one of the lionesses in group three was injured yesterday…" She thought things over before responding, "Sure, Moju! Head over to Adla's group." She pointed to a tan lioness sitting with a few others. I nodded, and quickly walked over to what I assumed was "group three". The lioness called Adla looked me over quickly, before nodding and turning her attention back to Nala.

"All right everyone, you know the drill. Adla, fill him in as we go along."

I followed the group of lionesses out into the Pridelands, glad that I actually had something to do! Although, I was a little apprehensive about hunting; I mean, I had never done it before, and I didn't want to be responsible for the hunt getting screwed up. It wasn't easy being the only male lion in the pride, excluding Simba. He had Nala, and no lioness would EVER come between those two… I on the other hand, well, let's just say I noticed the "peculiar" looks some of them gave me.

Today was no exception, being on the hunt and all. It was bearable at best, but it still got on my nerves! Why couldn't they leave me alone? It wasn't that they weren't good-looking, definitely not. I just didn't feel like any of them were the "right" choice! I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice the lioness in front of me come to a sudden stop. I knocked into her accidentally, and she growled at me in annoyance. I backed up quickly, muttering an apology. I looked over at Nala, who had her eyes fixed upon a lone antelope. She motioned to the leader of the second group and Adla, telling them to take up flanking positions. Adla motioned me closer.

"Alright, now listen closely. Our role is to force the gazelle towards Nala, who'll take it down. You can try to take another after she's done, ok?"

I nodded, feeling a spike of adrenaline as the two groups rushed out from the brush. The gazelle's eyes widened in fear, and it bolted straight towards Nala. I smiled, the hunt was going perfectly! I turned towards the fleeing herd of gazelles and sprinted after them.

Pure, unbridled instinct took over, and with more speed than I imagined I had, I caught up to the herd. Keeping pace with the gazelles, my paws kicked up dust as I pounced upon my nearest victim. I felt a thrill as I tore the animal's throat out, killing it instantly. I paused to catch my breath before hoisting the gazelle on my shoulder and walking back to the other lionesses. I peered towards the patch of brush that we had sprung from, and realized just how far I had run. I quickened my pace to a lopsided jog, trying to keep the gazelle on my back. Reaching the clearing I heard the lionesses praising Nala for her kill.

_Probably not the first time!_ I thought sarcastically. I laid my own kill next to her own, glad to get the weight off my back. Most of the lionesses looked up at me in surprise, even Nala seemed impressed.

"Are you sure this is your first time hunting Moju?" she asked, smiling. I grinned and tried to act nonchalant.

"More food's music to my ears! Thanks Moju!" said one lioness. I turned towards the source of the voice, and was shocked. The lioness who had spoken up had an almost translucent white coat, and deep purple eyes that shone with happiness.

"My pleasure! You're who, again?" I grinned. I'd have to ask Nala about her, I was almost certain that white pelts were not seen quite so often around here…

"I'm Akila!" she said, still smiling.

Well, at least she wasn't begging for my attention half the day…

* * *

><p>When we returned to Pride Rock, there seemed to be restlessness within the members of the pride. As we reached the base of the rock, I could hear angry shouts from up above.<p>

_Uh oh… Something big went down… _I thought worriedly.

I quickly bounded up the front slope, loose rocks tumbling down in my wake. At the entrance of the den sat Kiara, sitting in front of a large prone figure lying motionless in front of her. She looked up at me, concerned as I approached. I heard Nala utter a small gasp, as she threw one of the antelopes off her shoulder and rushed over to Kiara, whispering urgently to her. I walked over to the body, and suddenly I recognized the figure as Simba; covered in cuts and bruises. His breath was shallow, ragged.

"Whoa! Kiara, what happened to your dad?" I asked. She shook her head sadly.

"It was Kovu… He brought Zira and the rest of the Outlanders to ambush Simba." She paused, sighing sadly, "How could he… I don't believe it! He'd never do something like that!"

So… The lion Simba had welcomed into the Pride with open arms was just yet another failed plot to kill him. How many more times would Zira try before she realized it was impossible? I laughed, and both Kiara and Nala looked up at me in shock.

"Your dad's pretty tough, eh Kiara?" I said jokingly. She managed a weak chuckle. Suddenly, Simba groaned and his eyes fluttered open. I opened my mouth to speak, but Kiara beat me to it.

"Daddy it can't be true!" She said, looking into his eyes helplessly. I felt, more than watched the entire crowd of animals at the base of Pride Rock turn their attention away from Simba. I heard collective gasps of shock and many animals' jaws were agape in surprise.

"It's Kovu!" one cheetah hissed, eyes narrowing. The crowd began whispering, pointing at Kovu and whispering about the new scar he sported over his left eye.

"Kovu!" Kiara bounded up to go meet him, but was intercepted by an exceptionally angry Simba, who turned his attention to the scraggly lion that stood below him.

"Why have you come here?" He demanded, baring his teeth. The attention of the crowd once more drifted to Kovu, expecting his answer

"Simba, I had nothing to do with…" Kovu began, pleading.

"SILENCE!" Simba roared, making Kovu flinch. He stared down at Kovu, his gaze a mix of hate and disgust, "When you first came here, you asked for judgment… And I pass it now!

"No!" Kiara shouted, trying to leap to her father. She was once again blocked by two lionesses.

"EXILED!" Simba roared, as the crowd cheered their approval. I cringed, remembering the prophecy Rafiki had told me of, now doubting its validity. Kiara gasped, tears coming to her eyes.

_It's not looking so good Rafiki; I hope you know what you're doing! _I thought, looking at Kovu's retreating figure in pity.

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot! Oh and yeah, I kinda hate musical numbers, So I'm not going to write THAT particular one out.**


	12. Chapter 12: Under the stars

_Chapter twelve: Under the stars…_

The angry clamoring of the pride wasn't stopping anytime soon, but it was now directed at a new target. A group of lionesses surrounded the same white lioness I had met earlier, Akila. She stood amidst them, ears lowered and backed against the wall.

"Scum!" One lioness shouted, "We should have never let you join our pride! Go back to where you belong; with that bastard Kovu!"

So Akila was an ex-Outlander? That explains why I hadn't seen her before today, but why were the lionesses being so hostile to her?

"Hey leave off her, will you?" I said, annoyed. The lionesses stared at me in surprise.

"But she's an Outlander!" one growled, flashing a deathly gaze towards poor Akila.

"And…?" I asked, "She hasn't done anything to you, leave her alone!"

"She was working with Kovu!" another shouted. I sighed in annoyance, gritting my teeth. These lionesses were such a pain sometimes…

"Is there proof? No? That's what I thought." I replied coolly.

"Are you standing up for her?" the first lioness said in disbelief. This was making me angry now; I needed to shut them up fast if I wanted to keep my sanity.

"Yes I am. Come on Akila, let's go." I replied, head held high and walking away. Akila followed me down Pride Rock, back to her usual attitude.

"Thanks again Moju! I still don't get why, though…" she said, confused. I chuckled and sighed.

"Well, for one thing you hadn't done anything wrong. I hate it when people jump to conclusions! And another thing, those lionesses are just a real pain in the ass sometimes…"

She laughed, making me smile. I was hesitant to ask about her past, hoping it wasn't too touchy a subject. We stopped to get a drink by the water hole, and I spoke up.

"So, how was your life like before you joined our pride? Must've been hell hanging out with Zira, huh?" I asked. She smiled sadly, eyes going distant. I cringed.

"Sensitive topic?" I asked with a concerned expression. Akila shook her head, regaining some of her composure.

"I don't like to talk about it much… But I do owe you one." She said, grinning at me.

"I was born into the Outlander pride the daughter of a rogue, who I have never met. My mother was a kind and caring lioness, who had joined the Outlanders only to look after her sister; one of the most fanatical devotees of Zira. Zira wanted to fill my heart with hate towards Simba, but my mother had other ideas… She told me not to believe Zira's lies, but to act as if I did. When Zira found out, she slit my mother's throat in front of the whole pride… I barely escaped to the Pridelands in time. Simba took me in upon hearing my story, and here I am now."

"Whoa, talk about a troubled past!" I said, shocked. She nodded, her usual brightness shining through the sadness.

I leaned down to take a drink, and Akila did the same. I noticed something at the bottom of the pool had caught her eye, and she leaned forward to try and see what it was. I grinned mischievously. She leaned forward just a bit more, began to lose her balance… And with a small shove from yours truly, fell into the pool with a large splash. I burst out laughing when she resurfaced, blushing heavily.

"Moju!" she growled, dragging herself onto the side of the pool, soaking wet.

I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't stop my laughter until Akila tossed me into the pool, where I was greeted by the icy cold waters like a slap to the muzzle. I gasped for air, grabbing onto the banks of the pool and rolling my eyes as the tables were turned. She continued to grin as I came out of the pool. I shook myself dry, playfully swiping a paw at Akila. She jumped out of the way, smiling. She pounced, sending us both tumbling down the slope. She ended up pinning me down, our muzzles so close they almost touched. It took a second for both of us to realize what just happened.

"Oh! Err, sorry Moju!" Akila said with a giggle, hopping off of me. I blushed, and scratched the back of my head. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, she ran off into the savannah, laughing. I followed her, her antics making a big grin spread across my face.

We romped around the Pridelands like cubs, running around with seemingly endless energy. Eventually, we lay down in the soft grass near Pride Rock, looking up at the stars.

"That was the best day I've ever had!" I said, "Hanging out with you sure beats sitting around all day!"

She sighed, exhausted. I watched a shooting star fade into the night, marveling at how many stars there were in the sky.

"I haven't had that much fun since I was a cub!" she exclaimed, chuckling. We both stared up into the sky, lost in thought.

"You ever done this before, Moju?" she asked, looking over at me. I shook my head.

"No… But I got to start doing it more often! It's amazing!" I replied, grinning. She nodded. I felt my eyelids start to droop, and I yawned. I closed my eyes to go to sleep, and felt something warm and furry brush against my stomach. I opened one eye in surprise, and saw Akila curled up against me. She put her head underneath my chin, purring. My heart pounded against my chest.

_Whoa… Deep breaths Moju, deep breaths..._I thought, trying to slow my racing heart.

I chuckled softly, putting my paw around her and pulling her closer, a deep purr coming from my own throat. The sound of Akila's steady breathing made it hard to stay awake, and I gave a small satisfied sigh before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The sun rose in the morning, a bright orange ball that swept its light across the Pridelands. I tried (and failed) to get up without waking Akila.<p>

"G'morning Moju…" she mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Morning Akila, sleep well?" I replied, yawning loudly. She got up slowly and stretched. Peering towards Pride Rock, reality suddenly caught up to me.

"Damn it! I was supposed to be on the border patrol this morning! Simba's gonna be pissed." I said, racing back to Pride Rock. I heard Akila shout something from behind me, but I was already too far away to hear. I slowed near the base, preparing myself for the inevitable. When I reached the top, I saw Simba turn around and walk in my direction.

"Moju! Where've you been? I've been looking all over for you!" he said, looking anxious. I coughed, and jerked my head in the direction of Akila's ever closer form in the distance. He stood in silence for a few seconds, and then he winked at me.

"Ohh… I see…" he chuckled. Unfortunately for me, some of the other lionesses saw it too… Knowing them, the whole pride would know about it before the day was out.

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	13. Chapter 13: The Battle Begins!

**I personally think this is the best chapter I've written so far. :D**

_Chapter thirteen: The Battle Begins!_

I growled in irritation as another bead of sweat landed in my eyes. I had been seeing the same landscape for hours on end… It was driving me crazy! I stopped by a large tree to rest, thankful for the shade it offered. So much stuff had happened lately; with Akila, the Outlanders, Kiara and Kovu… Just trying to take it all in made my head spin. I sighed and looked around. Everywhere I looked I was met by the same drab yellow color, and the gentle movement of the tall savannah grass in the wind.

_Why do we even need a border patrol? There's nothing out here but grass and rocks… _I thought to myself, annoyed. I decided I had had enough rest for now, it was time to return to my "duties".

As I started to get up, I heard someone speaking from behind me. I tried to catch what they were saying by turning my ears in the mysterious voice's general direction. I stealthily hid myself in the brush near the tree, inching ever so closer to the source of the voice.

"…Now! It **HAS** to be now! We've waited long enough, and many of the Outlanders are growing restless." spoke a gruff female voice. I was sure I had heard this voice before…

"_We _have waited? My pride was ready to attack the moment we got here. Your belief in that brat Kovu delayed the assault severely!" the other voice, clearly a male, replied. I suddenly realized who these two were.

_Zira and that strange white lion, who killed Amani…_ I thought angrily, the scene of poor Amani's gruesome death replaying in my mind.

"Enough talk! We attack. Be sure you and your pride are ready. Move out!" Zira growled. The other lion just scoffed at her, muttering something unintelligible before padding away himself. I waited in complete silence until I couldn't hear the soft crunching noise their paws made on the soil anymore.

When I was sure they were gone, I bolted up from my hiding place, racing back to Simba to warn him of the assault. All fatigue in my limbs was gone as I sprinted past confused animals, hoping I wasn't going to be too late. Several animals gave me confused looks as I bolted past, no doubt curious as to what I was in such a hurry over. I had to shove some of the rather "stubborn" ones out of my way rather forcefully.

It took me the better part of an hour to reach Pride Rock; I was drenched in sweat, and panting heavily. Simba ran over to me quickly as I collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion.

"Moju! What happened?" he asked in shock, eyes wide. I had to sit and rest for a few minutes to catch my breath while he sat in suspense.

"Outlanders… Attack… The Pridelands…" I managed to wheeze out, my voice hoarse from the sprint.

"WHAT! Right now!" he yelled angrily, drawing the attention of most of the pride. I nodded, too tired to speak. To make matters worse, Nala came rushing out of the den, a worried expression on her face.

"Simba… Kiara's gone…" she said, distressed. Simba's expression turned from one of surprise to one of dread. He covered his face with his paw and slowly shook his head.

"NO! I **CAN'T** lose Kiara! Not after… Kopa…" he choked on the words, turning away. I had slowly begun to recover, using some of the healing magic to aid my recovery.

"Simba, I know it's difficult, but we have more pressing matters to attend to! The Outlanders are heading here to attack Pride Rock!" I said, trying to shake him out of his despair. He did nothing. I roared in frustration.

"**FINE**! You may not be willing to defend your kingdom Simba, but I sure am! I'm never going to let Pride Rock fall to Zira so long as I'm alive!" I shouted at him.

"Lionesses! With me! Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu, find Kiara and bring her back here! Go!" I barked orders. Pride Rock exploded into action, All except for Simba, who was clearly too lost in his own despair to be of any help. I sprinted away from Pride Rock, the lionesses not far behind. No doubt we would lose lives in this battle; I could only hope that the Outlanders would lose more.

* * *

><p><em>Please, if any God does exist… Let Akila be okay. <em>I prayed silently. I shifted my concentration back to the present just in time to narrowly avoid tripping over a gnarled tree root. I heard a shout from behind me, and looked back to see Nala, and by some miracle she had been able to knock some sense into Simba. Simba rushed to my side, staring into my eyes with a fire I had never seen before in him.

"I'll take it from here, Moju. A king must step up to his responsibilities." He said commandingly, signaling me to go back with the rest of the pride. I nodded, glad that Simba had seen reason and had decided to do his duty.

I took my place next to Akila, staring into her deep violet eyes for a moment that seemed to last a lifetime. In that moment, I think we realized that both of us would fight to the death for the other. I noticed dark specks on the horizon, and as we ran on, those pecks formed into our enemies: The Outlanders… But something didn't feel right, and I couldn't seem to figure out what. We stopped about a hundred feet in front of them, while vultures, sensing a battle, began to circle overhead. After a few tense moments of staring Simba down, Zira spoke up with a malicious grin spreading across her face.

"It's **OVER** Simba… I've dreamed of nothing else, for YEARS!" she cackled, an insane glimmer in her eyes.

"Last chance Zira… Go home." Simba replied, trying to be reasonable. Zira smiled evilly.

"I _AM _home!" She shouted, "**ATTACK**!"

Both prides raced towards each other, with one single thought racing through their minds: Kill. The two prides slammed into each other, roaring and gnashing their teeth in anger. As the various battles wore on, I raced through the lines, healing lionesses and even managing to tear a couple of Outlander's hamstrings while they were preoccupied. Zira, however, took note of this, and ordered 3 of her lionesses to kill me.

I found myself cornered by three grinning lionesses, claws unsheathed and walking ever so closer to me. I roared in defiance. If I was going to die, I'd take all three of these Outlander fuckers with me. Just as I was about to pounce, I saw a flash of white, and suddenly Akila had appeared out of nowhere, and had torn out the throat of the leftmost lioness. I used the momentary shock of the other two to quickly pounce upon one and slit their throat. Finally having recovered from the shock, the last lioness turned tail and fled, not wanting to suffer the same fate as her two buddies.

"Thanks Akila! Now I owe YOU one." I shouted to her as we raced back to the battle.

"For saving your life? You owe me a LOT more than one…" she replied, grinning. Even in the midst of all the blood, Akila still made me smile. My thoughts were interrupted however, when Zira knocked Simba to the ground, having to fight 4 or 5 lionesses at once. Silence descended upon the battlefield as the two circled each other, waiting for the right moment to strike. They raised their paws, each aiming for the others neck.

* * *

><p>Time seemed to slow, and before they could attack, a peal of lightning blinded the onlookers. As the bright light faded, all of the onlooker's jaws dropped. In between Simba and Zira, standing before their respective parents, were Kovu and Kiara.<p>

"Kiara?" Simba whispered with his eyes wide. Kiara narrowed her gaze and said nothing.

"Kovu! Move…" Zira snarled. Kovu growled at her, hate gleaming in his strikingly green eyes.

"You'll NEVER hurt Kiara! Or Simba! Not while **I'M** here." He said, bracing himself. Zira gasped in anger.

"Stay out of this!" Simba said, trying to get Kiara out of the way. Kiara wouldn't budge. She stared into his eyes with a determination that made Simba freeze up.

"Daddy, this has to stop!" Kiara said, pleading with Simba. I held my breath, was she actually trying to do what I thought she was?

"But, they…" Simba started, only to be interrupted once more by Kiara.

"Them! Us! Look at them! What differences do you see!" She said, her voice rising. Simba was silent for a few moments, staring into each of the Outlanders faces. They looked up, stunned and excited at the same time. The sun emerged from behind a cloud, lighting up Simba's face. His expression softened, and he smiled happily at Kiara, nuzzling her briefly.

"Vitani! Now!" Zira yelled at a tan lioness with blue eyes. She could've been Nala, except she had a slightly darker coat, was extremely thin, and had sunken eyes with dark circles underneath them.

"No, mother!" The lioness called Vitani said, walking over by Kovu. "Kiara's right… Enough."

"If you will not fight, then you will die as well!" Zira growled, signaling her other lionesses to attack. Some of them scoffed, walking to where Vitani now sat.

"What! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!" She roared, watching the pride that was once hers walk away to join Simba.

"Let it go, Zira." Simba said softly, trying once again to reason with her.

"I'll **NEVER** let it go! This is for you, Scar!" she whispered. She pounced towards Simba, and Kiara, seeing Zira's action, tackled Zira off the cliff. My heart plummeted. Simba and Kovu both raced over to the edge of the cliff face, shouting her name. Simba leapt down the slope, racing against time to save Kiara, as the "dam" upriver began to break apart, sending deadly logs straight towards Kiara. Nala noticed this as well.

"Simba! The river!" she shouted, hoping she caught his attention. He leapt from the cliff face to a nearby stack of rocks, still racing towards Kiara. My eyes flicked towards Kiara, and to my great relief I saw that she was okay, leaning down a small ledge to try and save Zira. I could tell that Zira was slowly losing her grip, and with one last bloodcurdling scream she fell into the river, and disappeared beneath the waves.

I heard Kovu let out a small sigh of sadness. I couldn't blame him. Even if it was Zira, she was the only family he had left, besides Vitani of course. Simba and Kiara hauled themselves up onto the fields, and with a collective sigh of relief, the pride went to go and congratulate her for being so brave. I nuzzled Akila, glad that she was okay, and I saw Kiara and Kovu doing the same. Simba was looking over at Kovu skeptically, but something had changed in him. He was no longer the strict, cold-hearted person he had once been.

"Kovu…" Simba started, looking at Kovu apologetically. Kovu slowly padded his way over to Simba, head hung. "I was wrong, you belong here."

Kovu immediately brightened, and he smiled at Simba warmly. Kiara came from behind him, and they shared a quick nuzzle before looking back at Simba happily.

"Now let's go home… All of us." He said, with a glance at the Outlanders. I smiled; it felt good to finally be rid of the threat that had been plaguing us for so long. Now that Zira was dead, the Pridelands could finally be a peaceful place once again. No more troubles, no more wars… Just me, Akila, the pride, and a bright future ahead of us.

I sighed contentedly, doing something I had not done for a long time. I relaxed. But something caught my eye as I peered into some bushes near the battlefield. I thought I saw a flash of white, and I suddenly realized why I felt something was wrong at the beginning of the battle…

The white lion and his pride were missing.

I turned around to shout to Simba, when an entire pride of 10 or 15 pure white lions leapt from the bushes and attacked.

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**Gonna turn on Anon reviews. Depends if I get hate or not that I keep them on.**


	14. Chapter 14: Revenge

_Revenge_

Simba turned around, just in time to receive a claw to the face from a grinning white lion. I knew there was no way that we could get the injured out in time, it would take too long. I made a split second decision out of desperation.

"Simba, go! Take the pride and leave! I'll hold them off!" I shouted, dodging and rolling to avoid my assailants' paws. Simba had already started rounding up the wounded and was in the process of rushing everyone away from the other pride. A certain lioness stood her ground stubbornly.

"Moju, don't be an idiot! You'll be killed!" I heard Akila yell, shaking off two lionesses that had come to drag her away.

"Better me than you, huh?" I said back, determined to make these moments count. "You've wasted enough time already! GO!"

I heard her roar in protest, before being dragged away by yet more lionesses. I felt strangely relieved. Here I was about to die, and yet… I felt calm, ready to accept my fate. The other lions surrounded me in a circle, and the same white lion I had seen on that fateful day came up to me, laughing.

"Trying to be heroic are we?" he chuckled, "I assure you… NOTHING will be heroic about the way you die! KILL HIM!"

I tensed, knowing full well what was to be thrown my way. Luckily for me, the lions lacked the common sense to attack me as one, and instead came at me individually. I felt no remorse as I slashed through the necks of my first two foes. I was using my skills and agility to avoid as much as possible, but I eventually felt myself get sluggish, making wild swipes at my enemies, and leaving me quite unbalanced.

"Enough of this!" the leader shouted, unsheathing his claws. He glared at me, and raised his paw to knock me to the ground. I saw the blow coming, but I was much too tired to defend myself. I felt a searing pain across my muzzle, and I flew backwards into a rock. Hard. I felt the air get knocked out of me as I impacted the cold stone. He ran over to me quickly, with a grin almost identical to Zira's. I lay on the ground, unable to move.

"You're going to die… Very slowly…" he whispered in my ear. I braced myself for what was to come, fearing the worst. He took his claws, stabbed them into my stomach, and then threw me off, his claws cutting deep gashes into my skin. I hit the other rock with enough force to break my ribs. I roared in pain, and looked down at myself. I almost threw up. There was blood everywhere, and the lion's claws had ripped away so much skin that I could see some of my organs. He came over to me again, and repeatedly dragged his claws ever so slowly across my back. I couldn't even scream, the pain was so great.

He lifted me up again, and slammed my back against the rock. It became increasingly hard to breathe, and I felt something pop in my chest. One of my ribs had punctured a lung! I lay on the ground, wheezing. My vision was fading black. The lion walked over to me again, and I felt him viciously slit my throat. I saw my own blood soak the ground in front of me… It was strange, I felt tired. No matter how hard I tried to stay awake, the feeling would come back in greater force. Eventually, I had to give in, I couldn't fight it anymore. As I watched the last of my life force ebb away into the ground, I descended into blissful oblivion.

* * *

><p>A vicious, pain-filled roar echoed throughout the Pridelands. Complete silence descended upon the retreating pride of lions. Akila knew what it meant, she knew what had happened. Her eyes filled with tears, and her heart felt as though it was shattering into a thousand pieces. Her best friend, the one who had stood up for her not so long ago, and who had made her feel like she had a place in this pride, was dead. She fell back to the end of the line of lions in grief, and walked alone all the way back to Pride Rock. When they arrived, she dragged herself into the den and lay down. Akila refused any offers of comfort or condolences from the lionesses. They had hated her in the past, why were they so friendly to her now? They were all the same… They would hate you, right up until the point where your life descended into complete shit, and then they would try to be friends with you…<p>

Her parents, her brothers and sisters were all dead; killed by Zira because they dared to disobey her once. Was it her fault? Was she just cursed with losing all of her loved ones? Akila closed her eyes, hoping that in sleep she could escape the pain.

* * *

><p>Kifo sighed, finally being able to rest after killing the tyrant king in his sleep. By law it made him king, and for that he was happy. He had found a pride of his own, his old mentor's mountain pride. But finding that Abasi had been killed had saddened him. But that was in the past. Abasi had been avenged, the rogue dethroned, and already the mountain was starting to look much, much better. While the wildlife recovered, they resorted to stealing the odd zebra that happened to wander too close to the border of the Outlands. Even now, he was patrolling the borders, keeping a keen eye out for food. A loud roar interrupted his thoughts, making him freeze up. He unsheathed his claws and slowly crept towards the sound of the roar. Kifo wasn't prepared for what he saw in the clearing…<p>

He was glued to the spot, his limbs suddenly going weak.

_No…_

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	15. Chapter 15: The Great Kings

**EXTREEEMELY late update, I know, but I lost my inspiration to write for a while. Just needed a break… There are going be 2 more chapters in this story, and I might write a sequel. Question is, would any of you guys like a sequel? :/**

_Chapter fifteen: The Great Kings_

For what seemed like an eternity I'd been floating here in this weird dark abyss. I couldn't feel my body either, but that was probably just because I just had every bone in my body broken.

_This must be Purgatory… Or at least something similar… _I thought to myself. Various thoughts raced through my mind: Was Akila okay? What was the Pride doing? Had I been forgotten? Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and I found myself standing a few feet from the base of Pride Rock.

_But… T-That's impossible! I'm dead! _I thought, stunned. I heard a deep booming voice from above me.

"Moju, don't just stand there looking stupid! Come up here and sit with us!" It said, almost jokingly. I jogged up the base to the source of the mysterious voice.

At the entrance of the den sat two lions; one that looked strikingly similar to Simba, and one who was quite scrawny. The scrawny lion had a tan colored coat and a jet black mane. He had a scar over one of his emerald eyes, stretching from his eyebrow down to the cheekbone. They looked at me and smiled. The smaller lion began to whisper in the larger one's ear, casting occasional glances in my direction. As I got closer they both turned towards me, looking me over.

"THIS is who Rafiki was telling you about?" The smaller lion said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up Taka…" The larger one replied, rolling his eyes. I was getting pretty ticked off with their bickering.

"Mufasa, look at him, he's barely bigger than Kovu!" Taka said, smiling.

"Will someone PLEASE tell me what the hell is going on here?" I interjected, looking from one to the other angrily.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that… Basically, you weren't supposed to die… Sounds weird right?" Taka explained.

"Um… Yea, it does… So if I wasn't supposed to die does that mean I'm going to be reincarnated, or something?" I asked, still confused. Taka and Mufasa both nodded.

"We can't give too much away about the future, but do know that you'll have a big role to play in the coming years! Oh! Just to let you know, your journey here took quite a long time, about 3 or so years to be exact. So don't be surprised if no one recognizes you at first." Mufasa said.

_Jeez, three years? I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do… _I thought with a grimace. Taka whispered into Mufasa's ear again, and Mufasa rolled his eyes.

"If you think it'll help, Taka…" he said tentatively.

"What? What did he say?" I asked, once again confused. Mufasa sighed.

"Taka here thinks that you're too… Uh, _weak _to do what you have to…" he explained. I gasped, and stared accusingly at Taka, who gave a nervous grin.

"_I'm _too weak? Have you taken a look at yourself lately?" I questioned.

"Well, I'm not the one who's going to be fighting, am I?" he retorted, smiling. I sighed in exasperation, "So what exactly is it you're going to do to me?"

"I was thinking of making you look more like your brother. He can certainly hold his own, don't you think?" Mufasa said.

_Well, if that's all… I'd rather be back sooner than later… _I thought to myself, and nodded to Mufasa.

"Alright, just get it over with…" I said, closing my eyes. There was a blinding flash of light, then darkness. I felt pins and needles across my body, and then the cold rock of Pride Rock's den was under my paws once more.

* * *

><p>Kiara motioned Kovu back to the second group of lionesses, slowly circling Pride Rock, getting ready to strike back at the white lion Adhabu, who had somehow got the cheetahs and hyenas that had been exiled so long ago to rally to his cause. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered the fateful night when he had snuck into Pride Rock with his pride and followers, killed her parents and taken Pride Rock for his own. But she couldn't let those memories drag her down, because tonight they would retake Pride Rock from Adhabu and restore the glorious image of the Pridelands. With the help of Kifo's rugged mountain pride, there was a chance it would succeed.<p>

She motioned for the two groups to move in on the unsuspecting members of Adhabu's wretched pride. She heard a scream, and the sound of ripping flesh. The battle had begun.

* * *

><p>My eyes fluttered open and I took a quick look at my surroundings. I was in the main den of Pride Rock, sitting unseen in a dark corner. As Mufasa had said, I was now probably as huge as my brother… <em>This<em> was going to take some getting used to. I heard a voice from my left, and I quickly swiveled around to see a large white lion standing over a battered lioness. What was _he_ doing here? I heard a small voice speak inside my mind. From the voice I could tell it was Mufasa

_It's the white lion Adhabu. About a year ago, he snuck into Pride Rock and killed Simba and Nala, but tonight Kiara and Kovu are going to take Pride Rock back… With the help of your brother of course._ Mufasa said. I was stunned, Simba was dead? And Nala too? All because of Adhabu… It took all of my willpower not to pounce on that bastard… I turned my attention back to the scene at hand; Adhabu was talking to the lioness with a menacing smile.

"Ah… Such a shame… It seems your friends have come back, Vitani. I was hoping we could have spent more time together, but since I won't be here for much longer I have no need for you… Or the cub…" he said, putting his claws to Vitani's throat. I froze. Now I recognized her… The crisscrossing scars and yellowish-purple bruises had distorted her face so much that I hadn't realized it at first.

_Wait… A CUB? No… He didn't… _I thought in shock. The sounds of battle outside were coming ever closer to the den, as Adhabu's remaining followers tried to defend him.

"Goodbye, Vitani…" Adhabu said, raising his paw for the killing blow. I couldn't hold myself back any longer.

"NO!" I roared, pouncing on him and pinning him underneath me. He stared into my face, shocked.

"W-who're you?" he stammered, eyes wide. I laughed, and grinned at him.

"Oh come now Adhabu, don't you remember me?" I said, staring into his terrified eyes. Eventually, he made the connection…

"NO! Y-you're dead!" he whispered, fearing for his life. My grin grew wider, and I pointed up with one paw.

"Apparently the Great Kings disagree." I said, unsheathing my claws and raising my paw to strike, "All the lions and lionesses you've killed Adhabu… All the pain and suffering you've caused… It was bound to catch up to you one day." I slit his throat with one powerful strike, "And that day, is today."

I stood up, watching Adhabu's blood pool around him. I wasn't even tired! I guess this new body had some benefits after all… I rushed over to Vitani, who was lying on her side, her breathing shallow.

"Vitani. VITANI! Wake up!" I shouted, nudging her shoulder. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She turned towards me and gasped, pushing herself against the far wall. I felt a pang of sadness. She must have taken one hell of a beating for her to be in this state.

"Vitani, it's me, Moju! Don't you remember?" I asked, her eyes widened, but she still didn't say anything, still trying to push herself as far away from me as possible. Her frantic breathing suddenly slowed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she fainted. I rushed over to check her pulse. It was very faint, almost nonexistent. I tried to heal her, but it was no good. As much as I tried, I couldn't do anything to help her. I quickly grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and threw her on my back, rushing out of the cave. She had to get to Rafiki, and fast. I could hear startled gasps come from all the Pridelanders as I rushed through the crowd.

"Hey! Who are you!" I heard a familiar voice shout. I looked back to see four figures start following me as I ran towards Rafiki's tree. I ignored them, every second counted if I wanted to save Vitani. As I reached the tree I leapt up the branches, my mind racing. I finally reached the inner hollow, where I quickly sat Vitani down, and paused to catch my breath.

"RAFIKI! GET DOWN HERE, NOW!" I yelled into the trees, hoping that the mandrill was here and not away, doing who knows what. He poked his head through the leaves, peering down at Vitani and I, his eyes widened and he disappeared, only to quickly reappear down where I was sitting.

"Rafiki, Vitani's going to die if you don't hurry up! I tried to heal her, but it didn't work, her heartbeat is very faint. She has bruises and cuts all over her body; I hope you have the herbs to deal with this…"

"You look familiar... Have we met before?" he asked, curious. I rolled my eyes and growled.

"If you must know, YES! But there are more important things to do right now!" I said, pointing at Vitani. He shook his head, and nodded. He quickly scrambled up the trees limbs and returned a moment later with a bundle of various herbs. We both rushed to apply the herbs, knowing that a life was on the line. Luckily, we got all the medicine applied in a short amount of time. I smiled and sat back, trying to slow my racing mind. Rafiki checked Vitani's pulse and nodded to me. She was going to be okay. Just as I was beginning to relax, I heard a voice from behind me, and I turned around to see Akila, staring at me with wide eyes and mouth agape.

"Moju…?"

I smiled nervously. At least I could count on Akila to recognize me after three years.

**Please remember to leave a review, helps me out a lot!**


	16. Chapter 16: What the future holds

**Yup, another late update! But it's ok, right guys? **

…**right? D:**

_Chapter 16: What the future holds…_

"Hi, Akila. Uhm… I'm back…" I said, smiling sheepishly. She took two tentative steps forward and then barreled into me, burying her face into my mane. The force of her hitting me knocked me over, and I landed on my back with a loud 'Oof!'. I laughed and gladly returned the gesture as she continued to nuzzle me fiercely.

"Wow! Maybe I should die and come back from the dead more often!" I said, smiling. Akila slapped me across the face, catching me off guard.

"Shut up, Moju…" She said, tears in her eyes. I rubbed my smarting cheek, scowling. Akila slowly got off me, still staring at me like she was in shock. I was distracted by a sound behind me. Kovu and Kiara had finally made their way up the tree, unaccustomed to the many footholds and twisting branches.

"Ugh, couldn't Rafiki have chosen an easier tree to climb?" Kiara said, brushing stray leaves from her fur. Kovu wasn't far behind her, rolling his eyes at her whining.

"Kiara, not everything in the world is made to please you." He said. She growled and stared daggers back at him. "Kovu. I will THROW you back down this tree if you don't shut up."

"When you two are done arguing like cubs, you might want to come over here!" I said cheerily. Kovu and Kiara took a moment to stop and look at me. Their ears perked up, and they looked confused.

"Wait a minute, who're you? You seem familiar…" Jeez, was I really forgotten that easily?

"I might be, I might not be…" I replied, casually twirling a stick in my paw. Kiara glared at me.

"What's that supposed to mean? Stop speaking in riddles or I'll kick you out of the Pridelands."

I faked surprise and hurt. "Oh come now Kiara, after I saved Kovu's sister's life, you'd throw me out? I thought we were friends!" her eyes widened as she saw Vitani's prone figure behind me.

"Oh my Kings! Vitani! What happened to her?" Kiara bowled through me and stood over her, her amber eyes flickering between each of Vitani's wounds.

"She left a year ago, when we were driven out to the jungle… We never heard from her since… I thought she was dead! She must have been captured by Adhabu." Kovu explained with a sad frown. "I can't thank you enough for saving her."

I smiled. That's more like it. Is a little GRATITUDE too much to ask?

"Adhabu was about to kill her, but I killed him first." I told him. "She had apparently stayed with the pride for a few months with a lion. They had a cub, but their pride wasn't supposed to mate with any Outsiders, so he was killed. Vitani was kidnapped not too long after that…" I lied. It was better Kovu didn't know the cub was Adhabu's. He might try to kill it in anger.

"She has a cub?" Kiara gaped. "That must be why she left! She wanted a cub!"

I nodded. Let them believe what they wanted. They couldn't know the truth until later…

"You saved my sister's life, and yet we don't know your name… Who are you?" Kovu asked, bringing us back to the previous conversation. I turned around and pointed to the symbols on my back.

"Akila here could tell you. But I think it'd be better if you found out on your own. Look familiar?"

"No. There's… No way! You died 3 years ago!" Kiara shook her head in utter disbelief. Kovu was still confused.

"Apparently the Great Kings didn't like my "unique" personality." I said, flashing a cocky grin. I turned to Kovu. "You don't recognize me? That hurts, Kovu… That hurts deep."

He looked from Kiara to me, confused. "No, I don't recognize you! Please, this could all be a lot simpler if you just told me who you were!"

I relented; "Mess with Kovu time" was probably over by now. "Does the name Moju ring a bell?"

He wore the same expression as Kiara: complete shock. "Moju… You look different…"

That was understandable; I was considerably bigger than I had been.

"Maybe a little bit…" I replied, smiling.

Kiara rushed up to me and hugged me tightly. "Kiara… Can't breathe..." I choked out after about thirty seconds of rib squeezing eternity. She quickly stepped away from me, still bubbling with happiness. I sucked in a deep breath. Kovu just smirked.

"What about your brother, Kifo? Does he know you're alive?" She blurted out. I grimaced, I didn't want to see what would come of Kifo finding out I was back, considering the reaction from Kiara… I did NOT want to see what my brother would do to me.

"No. I haven't told him about it yet." I replied. She gasped.

"Then we need to go tell him! And the rest of the pride too!" she said, practically bouncing up and down. Rafiki came swinging down from a branch, and planted himself in front of Kiara.

"Not yet you don't!" he said, hitting her on the head with his stick. HA! Yea, let's see how you like it!

"Ow!" she yelled, rubbing her head. He waved her away.

"Leave! You too Kovu, Akila! I must speak with Moju!"

All of them slowly made their way down the tree. When he was sure they all were gone, he turned to me.

"Moju. Dat was very smart of you. Kovu does not need to know of de cub's father." He whispered to me. I grinned; praises from Rafiki were few and far between.

"But know dis: De cub will have a very important part to play in de future. You must not let any harm come to it." I nodded. He sighed, and looked into my eyes, searching for any sign of lying. He found none, of course. "I hope I can trust you, Moju. Believe it or not, the future of de Pridelands depends on dis cub's survival…" My eyes widened. The cub was THAT important? "Rafiki, I won't let you down. I'll protect him or her with my life."

He leaned back and smiled. "Good, Moju. I'll hold you to dat. Now go with your friends. Dey probably have a lot of questions."

I leapt down the tree, eager to see Akila, Kovu and Kiara again. When I got to the base of the tree, I only saw Akila. She came up to me and gave me a small lick on the muzzle.

"Hey Akila, where'd Kovu and Kiara go?" I asked her.

"They went on ahead, they, uh, wanted to give everyone the good news first." She replied, giving me a shy smile. That's odd. Akila's not one to be shy. We walked until Rafiki's tree was on the horizon. Akila was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Akila, is there something wrong? You seem quiet." I asked, serious. She twirled a paw in the dirt slowly.

"Well, Moju… How would you feel about being a father?" she asked quietly. I stumbled back a few steps. That was unexpected. But I didn't want to make her feel bad!

"Uh… I'd be ok with that. I guess." I replied awkwardly. She gave me a seductive smile and knocked me over into the tall savannah grass. Before I could react she jumped on top of me, and licked my cheek.

"Good… I've always wanted a cub!" she whispered to me. I laughed softly. I gazed into her sparkling violet eyes.

"I love you, Akila." She smiled and nuzzled me under the chin.

"The feelings mutual, Moju."

**Well, there we go. End. Fin. Done. I hope you liked.**

**I probably will be writing a sequel, actually. Sometime around winter break or something. I don't know.**

**I'd like to thank my faithful reviewees for reviewing. Jonny2B especially, since he reviewed every chapter. He deserves a cookie!**

**This is Reldor, signing off!**


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